


Miscellaneous Oneshots Collection

by Avistella



Series: Big Book of Collections [5]
Category: Angel Beats!, Doctor Who, Free!, Inazuma Eleven, Kagerou Project, Tales of Graces, Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Cross-Posted on deviantArt, F/M, One Shot Collection, POV Second Person, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-12
Updated: 2017-08-12
Packaged: 2018-12-14 13:16:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 23,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11783931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avistella/pseuds/Avistella
Summary: Collection of reader insert one-shots with various characters from various fandoms.





	1. Noda | Regrets and Promises

**Author's Note:**

> You can find more of my works on [my Tumblr](http://avistella.tumblr.com/)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Hurt/Comfort/Fluff | Noda finds a familiar face in the SSS.**

Unbeknownst to the inhabitants of the Afterlife, the reason why they can even exist in that space was because of past regrets from the time they were alive. Everybody held regrets. Some preferred to keep it more to themselves, while some were more open about it; some tried to forget these regrets that lingered in their minds, while some constantly remind themselves of the things they have failed to do. Noda, an inhabitant of the Afterlife as well as member of the _Shinda Sekai Sensen_ (also known as the SSS), preferred to not dwell on the past. All that mattered now was the present.  
  
However...every now and then, he can't help but reminisce of the life he once had and his reason for being here.

* * *

Noda was a _hikkikomori_ ; he did not take pride in that fact. Actually, he quite disliked being such a burden to his mother, but it wasn't like he wanted to be like that. It was just who he was. What Noda did take pride on, however, was his skill in RPGs. Noda spent most of his time playing RPGs of any and all kind. It was something he was truly passionate about.  
  
It was just like any other day for Noda. He was busy playing his games like usual when his mother suggested that he try to go out of the house and get some fresh air. Noda's mother often worried about him and has occasionally voiced her opinion on him on trying to go out. Deciding to give in to his mother's concerns and wish just this one time, Noda had taken her up on her offer.  
  
The young man shut the door to his house behind him before bringing his hands over his eyes, shielding them from the bright light of the sun that he was unaccustomed to due to playing RPGs all day in his room. As soon as his eyes adjusted, Noda tucked his hands in his pockets and made his way to walk around for a bit.  
  
Not knowing exactly where to go, Noda merely wandered around aimlessly, using a bit of effort to avoid having to socialize with anyone. At some point, the young man came across a secluded area. Noda inspected the surroundings for a bit before deciding that this was a good spot to take a break. The young man walked over to a comfortable, shaded area and sat down. He closed his eyes for a bit, admiring the fresh air and gentle breeze that blew against his cheeks. The young man then took something out of his pocket—his hand-held gaming device.  
  
Even though his mother had told him to go out and get some fresh air, Noda still couldn't bring himself to separate from his RPGs. The young man switched the device on, prompting it to make the all too familiar ding sound upon the start up of the device. Node selected the game he wished to play and then busied himself with nothing but the pressing of buttons.  
  
"Oh, that looks fun!"  
  
Noda jumped slightly upon hearing a new voice speak to him from so close. Apparently he was so engrossed in the game that he hadn't realized that a passerby had decided to stop and see what he was doing.  
  
You let out a laugh at his reaction and apologized, "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."  
  
"It's fine..." Noda muttered out a response, bringing his attention back to his game.  
  
"What game is that?" you asked curiously as you peered over the young man's shoulder. "It looks really interesting."  
  
"It is!" Noda answered rather enthusiastically. "You basically make kids with your classmates and have those kids fight in dungeons for you."  
  
You blinked in surprise and slight confusion at his quick explanation, "Huh...weird. But it sounds pretty cool!"  
  
You watched the young man play for a bit longer before he turned his head to face you. He held out the game, offering it to you, and he asked, "Wanna try?"  
  
Noda watched your eyes light up instantly as you nodded excitedly, graciously taking the device into your own hands. The young man scooted over, giving you ample space to sit beside him. You did so, and you turned your attention to the game. Noda gave you a quick and easy tutorial, pointing at the screen every now and then to tell what each button and feature did what. Once you got the basics down, Noda decided to let you try playing without any of his commentary. He watched, extremely impressed with the amount of skill you possessed for the game.  
  
"You're really good at this," Noda complimented when you handed the device back to him, deciding that you've had your fair share of battling in dungeons.  
  
You smiled in response. "I play a lot of RPGs, so I guess I have some practice."  
  
You then dug your cell phone out of your pocket and glanced at the time. You mentally cursed as you abruptly stood up, surprising the young man who was sitting beside you. You bowed in apology and explained, "I have to get going. It was really nice meeting you, uh..."  
  
Your voice awkwardly trailed off and when Noda realized that it was because he still hadn't introduced himself to you, he cleared his throat and told you his name. "Noda. My name's Noda."  
  
A smile spread out on your face and you nodded as you repeated his name before giving your own in return. "I have to leave now, but I had fun. Thanks for letting me play your game, Noda."  
  
"No problem," Noda replied before you turned on your heel, leaving him alone once more. As you walked away, Noda couldn't help but watch your retreating figure.  
  
_"She was kinda cute..."_ Noda idly thought, bringing his attention back to his game.  
  
The next day, Noda couldn't quite explain why, but he had found himself going outside of his own accord, back to the very same spot that two of you had met. He didn't know why. He just assumed that perhaps he might be able to see you again. The young man took out his game once more and started playing, but he was rather distracted at the possibility of meeting you again, and he kept on failing. Figuring it was better to just leave it alone for a while, Noda shut off the gaming device and set it down, letting out a tired sigh.  
  
"Oh, Noda!"  
  
The familiar sound of your voice caused the young man to look up, a grin instantly making its way to his lips when was met with your face. The two of you exchanged quick pleasantries before diving into more personal topics of conversation, trying to get to know each other. The more time you spent with Noda, the more you found out about him, and vice versa.  
  
For a few days, these small meetings and exchanges repeated themselves, and before either of you knew it, the two of you had become close friends. One day, Noda decided to invite you over to his house to play some of his RPGs together. You excitedly accepted, appreciating any time you could spend together with Noda.  
  
You didn't know when or how, but you had fallen for the young man. He was a bit rough around the edges, sure, but he was also rather sweet and gentle, even if he showed it in a few awkward ways. Not only that, but his competitiveness was also something to keep you excited and busy. You loved being with him. You loved him.  
  
As his friend, you had tried to get Noda to stop being a _hikkikomori_ , but to no avail. Eventually, you gave up on trying and figured that it will happen at Noda's own pace. No matter what, you would support him.  
  
At his house, you couldn't help but become a bit more stiff and awkward. Noda laughed at you and your behaviour, much to your chagrin, but it was really refreshing to see him laughing so freely that you couldn't stay mad at him for long. You sat down at his bed, swinging your legs back and forth as he prepared the game for the both of you to play. As he readied everything, you took this time to study his features. While you were busy staring at the young man and admiring his looks, he turned around, apparently done with getting the game ready, and he locked eyes with you.  
  
You straightened your back and pressed your lips together in a firm line as blood started to rush to your cheeks. He had caught you staring at him. You quickly averted your eyes to the side and cleared your throat, trying to play it off coolly, but failing to do so. Thankfully, Noda didn't comment on it and merely gestured for you to sit beside him.  
  
You let out a shaky breath before going to his side and making yourself comfortable beside him. He handed you the extra controller, and you took it, being extremely cautious and conscious to not accidentally brush your hand against his in fear that he might realize how nervous you currently were.  
  
Deciding to just let it go for now, you turned your attention to the TV screen as it lit up with the start menu. Noda pressed a few buttons, going to multi-player mode and giving you a quick run-down of how the game worked. After a few minutes of messing around, you had gotten accustomed to the system.  
  
"You know, I realized you never really use gunners," you commented as you mashed a few buttons, glancing briefly to the side to look at him.  
  
Noda continued to stare at the screen and answered simply, "I don't like guns."  
  
"I see..." you didn't push the topic any further.  
  
The two of you played for hours before eventually, it was time for you to leave. While you were at the door getting your shoes, Noda had spoken up, catching your attention. "Say..."  
  
You tilted your head curiously to the side, "Yeah? What is it?"  
  
"There's something I want to tell you," he began.  
  
You remained silent, waiting for him to speak again, but he kept his mouth shut. His eyes avoided to meet yours, and he rubbed the back of his neck. "What is it?" you repeated your question, prompting him to continue.  
  
Noda let out a sigh before muttering something under his breath and shaking his head. He then finally decided to look you in the eyes, catching you a bit off guard. "Not now. I'll tell you some other time."  
  
"Aww, now you have me all curious!" you whined. "Why can't you tell me now?"  
  
"Later," Noda replied, crossing his arms over his chest, a playful smirk playing on his lips.  
  
You puffed your cheeks and pouted, "No fair. ...Fine. When exactly is 'later' then?"  
  
"Later," Noda repeated, causing you to pout even more.  
  
"I swear, you are so..." you trailed off, not knowing exactly what word to use.  
  
The young man merely laughed, effectively bringing the topic to a close. You said your farewells and thanked him for his hospitality, and you left his house, pondering what exactly it was that he wanted to tell you. The two of you continued to spend lots of time together, and every now and then, you would bug Noda to tell you what it was that he wanted to tell you, but he always said that he would tell you at a later time.  
  
"I promise to tell you one day," Noda said for the umpteenth time you had asked him.  
  
"I feel like that day will never come," you muttered in response.  
  
The young man laughed and brought his hand down to your head. At first you thought he was going to pat your head, but instead, he decided to mess up your hair. You swatted away his hand as the two of you engaged into one of your usual, friendly wrestle matches.  
  
"Jeez, you're really strong," you commented as you tried to straighten out your hair after that intense match. "But seriously. Promise me that you'll tell me whatever it was you wanted to tell me one day."  
  
"Only if you promise to meet with me again."  
  
You let out an amused sound, "Of course. I promise."  
  
Despite your promises, you never got to hear what it was that Noda wanted to tell you. Fate was cruel and had other plans in mind. And just like that, Noda was gone from the world, leaving you all alone and to wonder what it was that he wanted to tell you.  
  
_”Perhaps it was to say that he lov—“_ you shook the thought away. _”No, I shouldn't think too hard on it, but...I never got to tell him.”_

* * *

After the unfortunate accident that had befallen Noda, he had woken up in a strange place, completely unfamiliar to him. After spending a few days in this new place, Noda had decided that this was just an RPG and he was playing the role of the hero protagonist. Soon enough, he had met Yuri and eventually joined her and her organization, the SSS.  
  
It was unknown to Noda as to how much time had passed since coming to the Afterlife, but he had inevitably grown accustomed to this place. One day, Noda was slacking off from school and merely drifting through his thoughts on top of the school roof, idly twirling his halberd around his hands when a voice snapped him back to reality.  
  
"That's a really nice halberd."  
  
That voice was familiar. It's been a while, but there's no way Noda could ever forget that voice. He turned his head towards where the voice came from, and his eyes widened. The halberd that he was once holding made a clanging sound as it made impact with the ground; Noda dropped his halberd almost without a second thought and rushed towards you. He placed his arms around you and clutched onto your clothes, as though confirming as to whether or not this was real. If _you_ were real.  
  
"N-Noda, you're choking me," you said as you tried to get the young man off of you.  
  
"O-Oh, sorry!" Noda quickly let you go and stared at you, taking in your features. You had changed a bit since he had last saw you; you looked a bit older and more mature, but he was still able to recognize you. He could never be able to forget you.  
  
The two of you caught up with each other, Noda mostly explaining the situation that you guys were currently in. He couldn't help but wonder where Yuri was; she was usually the first one to greet the newcomers to this space, but Noda didn't really mind it. After all, you were finally with him once more. And that was all that mattered.  
  
Before long, you had joined the SSS along with Noda and the others. You befriended the other students in the organization, but you spent most of your time hanging around Noda. He was much different from how you knew him before. Before, he was just a shut-in, but in here... He had made so many new friends. You couldn't help but feel really happy for him, but at the same time, you felt a slight sense of loneliness.  
  
"Oh, I didn't know you were here."  
  
You looked up from the book you were reading and smiled upon seeing Otonashi's face. "Hey."  
  
The young man sat down beside you as you shut your book and placed it on your lap. Otonashi leaned back, using his arms as a support as he stared into the sky. You stared at him for a moment, wondering what it was that he wanted, but you eventually followed after him and turned to look at the sky.  
  
A moment of silence stretched between you two before you spoke, "You've been acting kind of strange lately."  
  
"Have I?" Otonashi asked.  
  
You nodded, "Yeah...Ever since that incident with Angel—er, I mean, Kanade."  
  
Otonashi remained silent, and you couldn't think of anything else to say. The young man then asked a question that seemed a bit random at first, completely surprising you. "Say, do you have any regrets?"  
  
You stopped looking at the clouds for a brief moment to turn to him, your eyes and mouth slightly wide open as to why he would ask such a thing out of the blue. You moved your mouth to say something, but you quickly shut it again. Otonashi watched from the corner of his eyes as you brought your knees closer to you, hugging them.  
  
"It really isn't something for others to know," you answered vaguely. "I mean, I'd rather...just...keep it to myself. But don't worry; I won't keep it to myself for long. I'll say it...eventually."  
  
You then went silent, and Otonashi sensed that it was something you really didn't want to talk about. Or at least, not with him, so he decided to not press the issue and further. Just as he was about to stand up and say that it was time for him to go, a new voice joined in, surprising both of you. You turned around and saw Noda standing there, an expression on his face that you couldn't quite distinguish.  
  
Noda pointed his halberd toward Otonashi, "Yo, let's have a competition."  
  
The young man raised his hand in a surrendering sort of gesture, "No thanks. I have to go. Bye!"  
  
And with that, Otonashi quickly turned on his heel and fled the scene. You watched him run away, and you couldn't help but bring your hand up to your lips to try to suppress your laugh. Noda looked down at you before gruffly sitting down where Otonashi was sitting before.  
  
"What were you doing with him?" Noda asked, a new kind of emotion lacing his voice.  
  
You shrugged, "I dunno. He just sat down beside me and started talking to me. Why? You jealous?"  
  
You meant it as a joke, but the weird strangled sound that Noda made caught your attention. You peered curiously over at him, and he just looked away, avoiding your gaze. ...He still didn't answer your question. A faint smile graced your lips at the hope that Noda might just have the same feelings for you as you did for him.  
  
_"Regrets, huh...?"_ you thought as you looked back up towards the sky, watching the clouds lazily drift by. _"I'll tell him...one day."_

* * *

You collapsed to your knees, completely exhausted. Your eyes scanned the surroundings, and you breathed out a sigh of relief. Finally, all those shadowed creatures were gone. You remained on the ground, trying to catch your breath when a familiar hand was extended out for you. You brought your face upwards to see the owner of said hand, and you smiled.  
  
"Thanks Noda," you said as you graciously took his hand.  
  
The young man helped you up, but you were still pretty exhausted from the fight, so you couldn't help but lean a bit on his sturdy frame. He didn't seem to mind it though. As soon as you caught your breath, you managed to steady yourself once more, and when you did, you realized that all of you're other companions were gone. It was just you and Noda.  
  
"They went ahead," Noda explained, "moving on, I mean."  
  
You slowly nodded in understanding. Silence stretched out between you two; it was neither an uncomfortable nor a pleasant silence. It was merely...silence.  
  
"Hey, Noda?" you decided to speak up, your voice coming out in just a small whisper.  
  
The young man glanced down towards you, "Hmm?"  
  
"Do you remember?" you asked. "You promised me...you promised me that you would tell me what you wanted to say that day."  
  
"What? You still remember that?" Noda seemed a bit surprised.  
  
"I don't like not knowing!" you replied. "Besides...it seemed...important, I guess? I don't know; it's just, at that time, you really left an impact on me, and I really want to know."  
  
The young man bit his lower lip, but he didn't speak, so you continued. "I kept my promise. I promised to meet with you again. So, you should keep your promise too."  
  
Noda kept his mouth shut together in a firm line as he alternatively switched his weight between each foot. "...I guess..."  
  
You looked at him curiously as he slowly but surely started to speak, "I guess, since everybody's leaving, coming to terms with themselves and getting rid of their regrets and whatnot, I should get rid of mine too."  
  
Noda placed his halberd down and firmly placed his hands on your shoulders. You blinked in surprise at the sudden contact, but you remained silent. Noda peered into your eyes, and amidst the reflection of yourself you saw in him, you also saw a flurry of emotions hidden deep within. You felt your cheeks redden from the intensity his eyes held as he looked at you, and you gulped lightly.  
  
"...I love you."  
  
Time seemed to stand still. Your eyes widened with surprise as Noda's grip on your shoulders tightened. "I...you...what?" you were flabbergasted.  
  
"I love you," Noda repeated. "I don't know when, and I don't know why, but I found myself enjoying your company and everything. I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't bring myself to tell you. I thought that if I told you and we started going out, I would burden you like how I burdened my mother. But, when I finally made my choice to tell you, I... I couldn't tell you. And even if I wanted to, I couldn't, because...I died. But then! But then you appeared again, and suddenly, every day was much more fun than it was before!"  
  
"I...I had thought..." you struggled for words as tears of joy and relief formed in the corner of your eyes. "I had thought you liked Yuri..."  
  
Noda shook his head, "Well, I mean, yeah, I _like_ her, but _I love you_."  
  
You choked back a sob as Noda finally let go of your shoulders and made his way to wipe away your tears with his thumbs, gently cupping your face. "I love you too. Always. Always and forever."  
  
The young man breathed out a sigh of relief, pulling you in for a tight embrace. You hugged him back with as much strength and passion. "Will we see each other again?" you asked.  
  
"Of course," Noda answered firmly.  
  
"There's seven billion people in the world," you said as doubts started to form in your mind. "What are the chances of us meeting again in the next life...?"  
  
"I will find you," Noda pulled back from the embrace and looked at you to show to you just how serious he was. "I will look all over the entire world for you if I have to. I will find you."  
  
The corners of your lips started to tug upwards into a small smile, Noda's words touching your heart. It's strange; when Noda said it, you felt like you could truly believe him. "You promise?"  
  
"I promise."


	2. Eleventh Doctor | Heartbeats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Hurt/Comfort | The Doctor catches you crying, so he holds you close.**

“What’s wrong?”

You jump at the sudden question as the Doctor peers his head down underneath the console where you were hiding. You weren’t expecting him to come back so soon and to find you so quickly. Out of instinct, you turn your back to the Time Lord, taking a shaky deep breath and hastily wiping away your tears with the heel of your palm. Travelling with the Doctor, you know that you should never let him see you when you’re vulnerable. He has enough on his mind already.

Clearing your throat and shaking whatever remaining thoughts lingered, you lie through your teeth. “It’s nothing. Just got something in my eyes is all.”

You wonder if there will ever be a day that you can lie just as easily as the Doctor lies to others. He lies to protect, you understand, and it’s exactly why you try to hide the truth from him as well. Perhaps you were picking up on some habits—not all of them good, you have to admit—from the Time Lord after spending so much time with him.

The Doctor stares back at you, a certain sense of knowing hiding behind those old yet youthful-looking eyes. He seems to be contemplating on how to respond to this situation. “Right then!” He randomly exclaims, clapping his hands together and deciding to change the subject. “Where should we go next?”

You make your way out back to the console, your eyes following the male as he fiddles around with the different parts of the TARDIS with that same dramatic flair as always, sliding about here and there on his feet. You’re vaguely aware of the Time Lord listing different planets to possibly visit visit and explaining what they each have to offer, but the information doesn’t stay in your mind for long. Your thoughts are far too troubled to retain anything the Doctor says, let alone pay attention to him.

You’re brought back to reality when the Doctor utters your name. You didn’t even realize that he had already stopped his ramblings. It catches you off guard, and your voice gets caught in your throat. You always did like it whenever the Doctor called you by your name. An old Time Lord like him that no doubt has met so many important and amazing people in his journeys, and he calls you by your name. It makes you feel special, somehow.

There’s a lump in your throat that you can’t quite swallow, and your eyes sting with the threat of oncoming tears. Through your blurred vision, you catch sight of the Doctor frowning before you. “What is it?” He tries asking again, slight desperation making itself known in his words. “What’s wrong?”

You can’t seem to bring yourself to reply, and you shake your head. Self-conscious of the way you must look right now with tears spilling from your eyes, you bow your head low and shut your eyes. The entire time, you can feel the Time Lord’s intense gaze on your figure. His shoes tap against the floor of the TARDIS as he takes slow yet purposeful steps towards you.

His hands hover over your shoulder, uncertain of what to do next. Comforting people is still very awkward for him, so he gives your shoulders a few hesitant pats, but it’s still not enough to calm you. A strangled noise of confusion escapes the male’s throats as he wiggles his fingers in the air, trying to look for a solution.

With no other solution in sight, the Doctor places his hands on your arms and pulls you into a tentative hug. After gauging your reaction, the Time Lord strokes your hair as you lean in closer to his chest. You can hear his hearts, a rhythm of four beats instead of the usual two that you’re used to hearing.

“Two hearts…” you comment idly.

“Hm?” The Doctor makes a questioning sound, his free hand moving to rub your back in soothing motions.

“You have two hearts,” you state more as a reminder for yourself than anything else. The Doctor remains silent, waiting for you to continue. “It’s…weird. I thought that listening to them beating together would be strange, and it is, but… But at the same time, it’s extremely comforting.”

“It’s a heartbeat,” the Doctor explains. “The sound of life. It’s the sound you hear before you’re even born, and it’s the sound that sticks with you throughout your entire life. It’s familiar, so it’s comforting.”

Your eyelids flutter close, and a small smile tugs at your lips. Sensing the change in your mood, the Doctor moves to pull away, but you lift up your arms to wind around his torso. You don’t want to let go yet, and you bury yourself even more into the Time Lord’s chest, allowing the sound of his drumming hearts wash over you and fill you with a sense of peace.

“Can we stay like this for just a bit longer?” You plead, your words coming out as a small whisper.

“…Alright,” the Doctor concedes with a sigh. He kisses the crown of your head before resting his cheek atop it. His fingers trace lazy shapes on your back, the sound of his hearts lulling you into a deep sleep.


	3. Makoto Tachibana | A Winter Day Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Fluff/Slice-of-Life | Makoto invites you to a snow ball fight.**

You were innocently wasting the beautiful day away on your laptop when you were interrupted by the buzzing sound of your cell phone. You turned your attention towards it and picked it up. When you saw that it was your friend Makoto that had texted you, you couldn't help but smile.  
  
The text read, "Going to have a snowball fight. Want to come?"  
  
Your smile widened when you read the text; Makoto was always considerate and liked to include you in the swim team's activities despite the fact that you were barely there to cheer the team on or to watch their practices—you still showed your support of course, but since you were almost always there for their out of school activities, you managed to form a close bond with the team. It was all thanks to your childhood friend, Makoto.  
  
"Alright, sure. Where?" you texted back.  
  
You placed the phone down on your lap and glanced back at your computer screen. It was only a few seconds until your phone buzzed again, notifying you of a new text. Your eyes scanned the words displayed on the small screen.   
  
"Iwatobi Park. Meet you in 15 minutes."  
  
Iwatobi Park wasn't that far from your place. It was only about a five minute walk. You changed into comfortable clothes and put on your winter attire before heading out the door. The snow crunched beneath your boots as you walked towards the park. Your pace was easy and slow since you still had a lot of time left before your designated meeting time. You hardly went outside during the winter break since it was cold and there wasn't really much to do, so you took this as your chance to admire winter's beauty. Delicate icicles formed on trees and edges of roofs; a perfect blanket of white snow lined the streets, almost begging to have somebody make footprints on it; and the sidewalks glistened with ice that hasn't been salted yet. Eventually, you found yourself at your destination, and you were greeted by the swim team, plus Rin.  
  
"Great!" Makoto exclaimed upon your arrival, "Now that [Name] is here, the teams are now even."  
  
"I want to be on Haru-chan's team!" Nagisa shouted, raising his hand and running to said swimmer and clutching onto his arm.  
  
"I want to be on sempai's team too!" Rei shouted immediately after Nagisa, claiming his spot.  
  
Makoto chuckled and turned his attention towards you and Rin. "I guess we're in a team together then."  
  
Both you and Rin nodded in acceptance of this team. Makoto then gathered everyone's attention.  
  
"This is how we'll set the fight up up; each team will have 5 minutes to build a fort and get a head start on ammunition. After that, the team to call truce loses," Makoto explained the rules. "And just to be safe, rules are that you can't aim for above the neck nor can you make a snowball with ice in it. Doing so will disqualify the team. Is this fair?"  
  
"Yessir!" everyone chorused.  
  
Rei spoke, looking at his wristwatch, I'll keep time."  
  
"Alright."  
  
"And..." Rei paused for a second," Start!"  
  
The group quickly dashed away and wasted no time in making their forts. You helped Rin and Makoto build a tall and thick fort. You knew with the amount of time, the fort will end up having a rather small width and space, but the other two didn't mind. Your eyes glanced towards the other team; they were focusing on getting as much width and space as possible, meaning that they would have to either crouch or lie on their stomachs for cover.  
  
"Time!" Rei called out, signalling the end of five minutes.  
  
No sooner than when Rei called time that snowballs went flying in the air. You ducked behind the snow fort as snowballs whizzed towards you. It was a barrage of snowballs; you didn't have time to throw even one without the risk of getting hit. Eventually, the amount of snowballs died down. The other team was losing ammunition.  
  
"Now's our chance!" you heard Rin say.  
  
The young man grabbed hold of one of the snowballs your team made in advance and threw it across the park. You followed suite, as did Makoto. This time, it was your team's turn to be on the offensive. As you threw, you realized your snowballs weren't getting as much distance or power as Rin's or Makoto's.  
  
"I'm not that good at throwing," you said to Makoto. "I think it's better if I make the snowballs and you and Rin throw them. This way, we won't stop on our attacks."  
  
"Sounds like a plan," Makoto smiled at you before turning his attention back to the fight.  
  
Your cheeks flushed slightly before snapping yourself back to reality and making work of creating ammunition. While creating the snowballs, you would occasionally glance over to see how the snowball war was faring. This one time, you looked up and you saw Nagisa get hit in the chest with a snowball. The scene after that was like a parody of all those movies you've watched.  
  
"I've been hit!!" the young man announced to the world before dramatically falling to the ground.  
  
Haruka and Rei immediately went to his side, and Rin and Makoto stopped shooting snowballs. It was a merciful and kind act on their part, so that they could give the two their time to say their farewells to their fallen comrade. You too stopped making ammunition as you were too engrossed in this tragic and hilarious scene.  
  
Rei was holding onto Nagisa's hand as he begged the young man not to go. You saw a weak smile on the fallen boy's face, but his eyes looked like he was just about ready to burst into laughter. You didn't quite hear what his 'final words' were, but you clearly heard Haruka and Rei repeatedly call out Nagisa's name before turning their attention back towards you and your team.  
  
"Revenge!" the two shouted simultaneously as they began their furious assault of snowballs.

* * *

You huffed for breath as soon as the snowball fight was over. Your team was able to overpower the other, and they had called truce, making you and your team claim victory. After catching your breath, you all shook each other's hands and congratulated one another.  
  
"Well, that was fun," you said.  
  
"Indeed it was,” Rei replied.  
  
Nagisa grinned and nodded in agreement, "Yeah, you're right!"  
  
"We should definitely do this again sometime," Makoto suggested.  
  
The others nodded, "I agree."  
  
"Next time, I'll beat you again," Rin looked at Haruka with challenging eyes.  
  
"We'll see about that," Haruka smiled, his eyes just as fierce as Rin's.  
  
"Say, do you guys want to come over to my place for some hot chocolate?" you asked, inviting the guys over.  
  
"Sure!" Makoto grinned, "That sounds lovely."  
  
"Great!" you chirped. You turned your attention towards the other boys, waiting for their answer.  
  
"Oh, sorry [Name]. I'd love to, but I need to do some stuff back home," Nagisa answered.  
  
"Same here," Rei said. "Sorry."  
  
You shook your head in understanding, "It's okay." You now waited for Rin's and Haruka's answer. "Well?"  
  
"My coach wanted to talk with me about some stuff, so I can’t," Rin replied.  
  
"I see. And you?" you asked, looking at Haruka.  
  
Haruka didn't answer right away. He glanced towards Makoto before answering, "Maybe some other time."  
  
"Alright then," you replied, not questioning what the young man's reason was for not being able to come over; although, you were curious as to why he hesitated upon glancing towards Makoto. "In that case, I'll see you all some other time?"  
  
"Yeah. See you."  
  
"Bye, and happy holidays!"  
  
You all said your farewells as everyone asides from Makoto went on their own separate ways. As soon as everyone was gone, Makoto turned to look at you.  
  
"Shall we go?" he asked, the usual kind smile on his face.  
  
You nodded, unable to find yourself to reply with words. You turned on your heel and started heading towards the direction towards your house while Makoto walked beside you. The young man has visited your house many times before, but never alone. He usually came with a friend, or your friend would have been there or something like that. You started to grow self-conscious.  
  
 _"What if my house is too messy for him? What if I act weird in front of him? What if I say something stupid? Oh my god..."_ you panicked, your thoughts in a complete whirlwind.  
  
You were so engrossed in your thoughts that you didn't notice the icy patch beneath you, and you slipped. Makoto tried to catch you, but he too slipped, and the both of you fell hard on the ground.  
  
"Ow," you winced, rubbing your lower back.  
  
Makoto had already stood back up and was offering you his hand. "You okay?"  
  
You nodded as you grabbed hold of his hand, "Yeah, I'm good. Thanks."  
  
"Sorry I wasn't able to stop you from falling," the young man apologized.  
  
"It's okay; don't worry about it," you offered a smile, feeling guilty for being the reason to have Makoto wear such an expression.  
  
The two of you continued walking towards your house, exchanging small pleasant talk. Within a few minutes, the both of you found yourself in front of your house. You opened the door and gestured Makoto inside. You closed the door behind you as both you and Makoto took off your winter attire, letting out a blissful sigh upon the warm welcome of the heater.  
  
"I'll go make the hot chocolate now," you said, making your way towards the kitchen. "You go take a seat."  
  
"Okay."  
  
You glanced behind you for a second before entering the kitchen to see Makoto sit on the sofa. You hummed a quiet tune to yourself as you worked around the kitchen, making the hot chocolate; it only took a few minutes. As soon as it was done, you walked back to where Makoto was and handed him the drink.  
  
"Thanks," Makoto smiled at you as he graciously accepted the cup.  
  
"You're welcome," you replied, plopping yourself down beside the young man with your own cup of hot chocolate.  
  
"Today was a lot of fun," Makoto commented.  
  
"Yeah, it was. Thanks for inviting me," you answered.  
  
"It wouldn't be the same without you," Makoto replied cheerfully with an honest expression.  
  
You blushed slightly at the comment and offered him an awkward smile, uncertain on how to reply to that. You directed your attention towards your cup of hot chocolate as silence filled the space between you two.  
  
"So, what are your plans for the holiday?" Makoto asked, breaking the silence before taking a sip from his drink.  
  
You shrugged, "I don't know. Probably sleep or something."  
  
"You should come over to my house," Makoto suggested.  
  
"Is that really alright with you?" you asked. "I mean, I wouldn't want to intrude..."  
  
"You're not intruding!" Makoto answered almost immediately. "I would love to have you come over. Besides, the others are coming over as well, so even if you were intruding, you wouldn't be the only one."  
  
"Well, if you insist..." you replied.  
  
"Though, knowing the others, they might try to get us under the mistletoe..."  
  
It was only a whisper as Makoto was mumbling to himself, but you heard that comment nevertheless. Your eyes widened slightly, and you looked at him. Makoto didn't realize that you heard him, so his eyes were curious when you gave him your full attention.  
  
"I-I'm sorry, what was that?" you asked.  
  
"What was what?" Makoto replied to your question with another question, feigning ignorance.  
  
"You said something just now, didn't you?" you said. "I didn't hear what it was."  
  
Makoto became flustered, "O-Oh, it's nothing! Don't worry!"  
  
Your lips pressed together in a firm line as you set your cup of hot chocolate down on the table in front of you. You then shifted around so that you were directly facing Makoto, and you stubbornly crossed your arms over your chest. Your cheeks puffed slightly, and your eyes narrowed, urging the young man to repeat what he said. Of course, you had a faint idea of what he said, but you wanted confirmation, but even so, you couldn't stop your heart from beating so fast.  
  
Makoto just stared at you, a small, amused smile on his lips at how adorable you looked at the moment. He poked your cheeks, but you stood your ground. There was no way he was going to back out of this. Eventually, the young man set his cup down beside yours before lacing his fingers together.  
  
"Fine," he admitted defeat. "I said that Haru-chan and the others might try to get us under the mistletoe."  
  
"W-Why?" you asked, heat rising to your cheeks.  
  
A slight blush formed on Makoto's cheeks as he turned his head to the side, avoiding your gaze, "I-I'd rather not say. Maybe some other time."  
  
"..." you said nothing and just continued to look at Makoto.  
  
His eyes occasionally glanced over to you, but he would quickly look away soon after. You had a guess as to what the reason was, but you wanted to see if Makoto would say it now. Apparently he wasn't ready to tell you just yet, and to be honest, you weren't ready to confess your feelings yet either. But that was alright. It will happen soon enough.  
  
You let out a sigh of defeat and brought down your defenses and offered Makoto a kind and understanding smile. You then leaned against him, and you let your shoulders droop as you felt comfortable and safe by his side.  
  
"Alright then. I won't force you to tell me," you said, "but... I want to know eventually, okay?"  
  
Makoto chuckled, "That's fair."  
  
"Good," you replied before mumbling, "Because I wouldn't mind being under the mistletoe with you..."  
  
"Neither will I."


	4. Makoto Tachibana | Sick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Fluff/Slice-of-Life | You fall ill, and Makoto decides to take care of you.**

A frustrated groan escaped your lips as you lazily threw yet another used tissue in the general direction of where your trash can was lying, not really caring if you managed to get it in or not. You groaned again as you allowed yourself to fall down to the comfort of your mattress. Your glazed eyes narrowed slightly, feeling the energy leave your body, despite the fact that you were doing absolutely nothing. Another groan.

_“This sucks,”_ you thought to yourself as you sniffed as a poor attempt to get you to be able to breathe through your nose again.

Just then, you felt your phone vibrate. Your hands groped around your bed in search of the phone, and once you found it, you realized that it was your friend, Makoto, who had texted you.

_“Where are you? Everybody’s already gathered here,”_ the text read.

You mentally cursed as you remembered that today was the day you and all your friends were supposed to go to the water park together. It was something you were really looking forward to, so you wondered for a moment as to why and how you could’ve forgotten, but then you remembered you still haven’t replied to Makoto’s text.

Your fingers tapped the keys at a sluggish pace. _“Got sick, sorry. Maybe next time. Have fun for me instead.”_

After sending the text, you allowed your cell phone to drop from your grip. You sighed, adjusting yourself to a much more comfortable position and allowed your eyes to rest. Your eyes opened once more upon the sound of continuous knocking on your door. You groggily got up before briefly glancing towards the time. You blinked in surprise when you realized that you had fallen asleep for about an hour; you could’ve sworn that you only closed your eyes for a few seconds.

You were snapped out of your thoughts when the knocking on your door didn’t cease. You tried to balance yourself as you approached the door, finding it slightly difficult to do so. You couldn’t help but let out a sigh, wondering why your family had to go out just when you had fallen ill. Of course, you could’ve easily ignored any and all guests, but this person was rather stubborn, and the possibility that it was something important crossed your mind.

Your hand wrapped itself against the doorknob, and you took a moment to admire how nice its cool surface felt against your warm skin before turning it and opening the door. Upon opening the door, you were forced to take a few steps back as the person on the other side had helped themselves inside, shutting the door behind them with a kick of their leg. You were about to push this person away, but their voice caused you to stop in your tracks, and you finally realized who it was.

“Makoto…?” you were confused. Was your brain playing tricks on you? “What are you doing here? I thought you were at the water park along with everybody else…”

The young man grinned sheepishly and answered, “Yeah, but then you told me that you were sick, and I remember you saying that your family was going out for a bit, so…”

“You came here just for me?” you asked, and Makoto nodded, prompting you to give him a grateful smile. “You’re so sweet, but you really didn’t have to.”

Makoto shook his head and smiled, “I wanted to. Besides, it just wouldn’t be the same if you weren’t there.”

“Oh, so you just wanted to see me in a swimsuit, is that it? You pervert,” you joked, nudging him playfully on his arm.

The young man’s cheeks reddened slightly at your joke, letting out a small and embarrassed chuckle. “You must not be that sick if you can still crack jokes like that.”

“I ended up accidentally falling asleep after I sent you that text, so I feel a bit better,” you explained. “I only woke up just now because of you and your constant knocking.”

“I was worried about having you all alone while you were sick,” the young man replied, concern lacing his voice. “Sorry for waking you.”

You waved your hand in a dismissive gesture, “It’s okay. …I’m still pretty tired, though.”

“In that case, you should continue resting,” Makoto said. “Let’s get you back to your bed.”

The young man wrapped one of his arms around your shoulders while the other grabbed hold of your hand, helping escort you back to your room. A tired sigh escaped your lips as you allowed yourself to be taken care of by Makoto, leaning most of your weight against him, relying on him. Your eyes started to feel heavy, surrounded by the warmth and kind aura that Makoto emitted.

You weren’t too sure as to how it happened, but the next moment, you were suddenly back in your bed as Makoto helped you get into a more comfortable position. Your memory of the short trip from your front door to your bed was hazy, and you concluded that you must be really out of it if you couldn’t even remember something as simple as that.

“Did you take medicine yet?” Makoto asked, his eyes practically brimming with worry for your health.

You shook your head, “No. I was going to, but I couldn’t bring myself to get up in my condition and then fall asleep.”

The young man nodded, “Understood. Just wait, I’ll go get it now.”

“Okay,” you nodded before Makoto gave you a gentle smile.

The young man turned on his heel and made to leave, but he stopped and asked, “Wait. Have you eaten yet?”

“Uhh…” you tried to remember if you did. “No…I don’t think so…? …No, I didn’t. I definitely did not eat yet.”

“In that case, can I use your kitchen and stuff to make something real quick for you to eat?” the young man replied.

You nodded, “Okay… But Makoto, you really don’t have to go out of your way for me.”

Makoto shook his head, “Like I said before, I want to. Let me take care of you, just this once.”

With that, the young man left the room, leaving you all alone with your thoughts. You buried yourself under your blanket, all the while muttering as a slight blush crept up to your cheeks, “What does he mean ‘just this once’? He takes care of me all the time… Really…”

While you waited patiently in your room, Makoto was in your kitchen, busy making some soup for you to eat. Makoto had been to your house several times now that he practically knew the place inside and out, almost as if it was a second home to him. He was completely comfortable and did not seem out of place at all. As soon as he finished making the soup, he poured some into a bowl for you to take. He placed it on a tray, along with some medicine and a glass of water, and headed his way back upstairs to your room.

Makoto entered your room once more, only to find you lying on the bed with your eyes closed. Uncertain if you were awake or not, Makoto cautiously and quietly approached your bedside, leaving the tray down on the bedside table. Just as he was about to say something to confirm if you were asleep or not, you opened your eyes, causing the young man to jump slightly from surprise.

You couldn’t help but laugh at his reaction, “Sorry, did I scare you?”

“Yes,” Makoto admitted. “I thought you were sleeping.”

“Nah, just resting my eyes,” you answered, sitting yourself up before realizing the tray that lay beside you. “Whoa, that looks really good. Does it taste as good as it looks?”

Makoto placed his hands on his hips and laughed, “Are you sure you’re sick? Because you seem to be perfectly fine teasing me like this.”

You feigned a look of hurt and dramatically gasped, “Why, Makoto, I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.”

As soon as you said that, you broke out into a few coughs. Makoto was quick to go to your side and run his hands over your back, soothing you. As soon as your coughs subsided, you offered a small smile to him. “Thanks.”

“Anytime,” the young man answered, not missing a beat. He then glanced towards the soup. “Here, you should eat something before taking medicine.”

You nodded as you took the spoon he handed you. You scooped some up, blowing on it to bring it down to a more comfortable temperature to consume, and brought it to your mouth. Your eyes lit up as you felt its comforting warmth fill you up.

“It tastes really good!” you exclaimed, looking up at Makoto who seemed to beam at your compliment.

“I’m glad,” Makoto answered.

You continued to eat the soup, exchanging some small talk with Makoto in between spoonfuls. As soon as you were done, you took the medicine, downing it with the glass of water, and let out a sigh of relief. Makoto promised that he would bring everything down and clean up, so you allowed yourself to lie back down on your bed, but you didn’t sleep just yet. Soon enough, Makoto was back in your room by your side. He pulled up a nearby chair to put beside your bed, and the two of you exchanged a few more words.

“…I’m sorry you had to miss out on all the fun at the water park,” you apologized, feeling guilty and sulking slightly underneath your blanket.

Makoto’s expression softened, somewhat shyly taking hold of your hand with his own. “You don’t need to apologize. Besides, at least we missed out on the fun together instead of just you missing out on all the fun by yourself. I know you were really looking forward to it.”

“Yeah, you’re right I guess,” you smiled, gently squeezing Makoto’s hand. “Thanks for being by my side.”

Makoto squeezed your hand back and answered, “I’ll always be by your side. …Er, n-no, wait. Wh-What I meant by that was—!”

You couldn’t help but let out a small laugh, interrupting Makoto’s flustered stutters of an explanation. Your expression lit up to one of pure joy as you thanked the young man once more. “I’m going to take a nap.”

“Okay. Sleep well,” Makoto nodded, and you closed your eyes.

Perhaps it was due to the medicine you had previously taken, or perhaps it was the comfort of having Makoto beside you, but you were able to quickly and easily go to sleep. With loving eyes, Makoto watched your peaceful and sleeping face. Unconsciously, with his thumb, he gently rubbed the back of your hand that was still holding, and with his free hand, he stroked your hair. He then leaned in and placed a soft kiss on the crown of your head.

No matter what, Makoto would always stay by your side and do anything and everything in his power to make sure that you were always the well and healthy you. After all, the young man cared deeply for you, because you were the one who would always make him feel lovesick.


	5. Shirou Fubuki | Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Fluff | You meet somebody new and think it’d be nice to see each other again.**

Your footsteps were light as you walked over to the park that was near your neighbourhood. A good friend of yours had invited you to play soccer with his friends. You had declined, saying that you weren't really that great at sports, but you would be there to cheer the two teams on. You tilted your head upwards and peered at the clear, blue sky above you. The weather was absolutely beautiful today, and a blissful sigh escaped your lips. It's been a while since you last felt at peace.  
  
While you were heading over to the park, you couldn't help but notice a couple cuddling together. Your eyes quickly glanced over to them, and you couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed. They looked so happy with each other; you had always wanted to know what it was like to be in love, but there hasn't really been anyone that caught your interest, so it kind of annoyed you seeing all these couples being all lovey-dovey with each other.  
  
Soon enough, you had arrived at the park; you were a bit surprised to see that the park didn't have that many people in it. You had assumed it'd be filled with kids running around and playing with each other since the weather was so nice, but there was rarely anyone in it.  
  
_"They're probably inside their homes, immersed in their electronics,"_ you thought criticizingly as you sat down on the bench, waiting for your friend and his group of friends to come. It seems like you had arrived early.  
  
You swung your legs and hummed a soft melody as time passed by. Eventually, your thoughts had started to wander to various things: school, friends, family, life, and so forth until somebody had snapped you back to reality. A pair of small arms attempted to wrap themselves around your shoulders. You let out a small laugh as you got up from the bench, bringing the person who hugged your shoulders up with you.  
  
"You're late Aine-chan," you said as you let the child down on the ground.  
  
The young boy beamed at you, scratching the back of his head. He had blue eyes and chocolate brown hair. "Sorry, mom was nagging me about not staying out too late."  
  
A small smile graced your lips. This young boy in front of you, Aine, was your friend that had invited you to play soccer. Many people found it strange that you would be friends with people younger than you—the girls also found it weird how they were males—but you paid them no mind. If anything, these children were much more fun to hang around with than people your age. They all had different interests that you weren't exactly fond of, and these children had lots of energy to spare—something you could always us; however, you always had to be careful as to not say or do anything inappropriate around them.  
  
"Well, she can trust me that I'll force you to go back home by six," you said.  
  
Aine whined, "Eeeh?! Why?! That's so early!"  
  
You shook your head, "Not for you, it isn't. You're still young; besides, six is still late for you. You should be thankful."  
  
The boy playfully stuck his tongue out at you and blew a raspberry. You stopped yourself from rolling your eyes. Even if you were friends with Aine and everything, he could still be a brat at times. That's when you noticed the group of boys behind Aine.  
  
"Are these your friends?" you asked, gesturing towards the group and flashed the group a grin.  
  
Aine turned to look at them and then back at you; he nodded. "Yup!"  
  
"I see," you replied and took notice of the soccer ball that one of the boys held. You added, "Have fun playing soccer; I'll be cheering both teams on. I'm thinking about treating the winner team to some ice cream, so...show me what you got."  
  
As soon as these words left your lips, the boys' eyes lit up instantaneously and quickly divided themselves into teams, and the game started. You sat back down on the bench, smiling as you watched the group of children play soccer against each other. They had lots of varying talents on the field. You cheered the two teams on, encouraging each and every single one of them to do their best like you promised. As you watched, you couldn't help but to contemplate on treating all of the children for their effort rather than treating just the winning team.  
  
You watched as Aine managed to kick the ball away from the other team's forward; however, he had miscalculated, and the ball flew out of bounds. It rolled over to a male who looked no older than you. He glanced down towards the ball that had gently nudged his ankle, and he picked it up. Feeling a bit paranoid for the children's safety, you jogged over to the male.  
  
"Is this yours?" he asked.  
  
You nodded, "Yes. Thank you."  
  
The male handed the ball over to you and he offered you a kind smile, "It's no problem."  
  
You were going to turn on your heel and head back to the children you were supervising, but you hesitated and spent a moment examining the young man before you. He had bluish-gray eyes that dropped a little, and his hair was short and gray with spikes facing downwards; however, the thing that stood out to you the most was that he wore a white scarf around his neck, despite the weather being perfectly nice out.  
  
"[Name], what's taking you so long?!" you heard Aine call out to you.  
  
"Ah, sorry!" you apologized as you jogged back to the group of boys, throwing the ball back to one of them so that they could resume their match.  
  
You sat down on the bench once more and watched, though your attention was then brought to a newcomer standing just shy of you. It was the same person as before who generously returned the soccer ball to you.  
  
"May I join you?" he asked.  
  
"Sure," you answered as you slid to the right of the bench, allowing more room for the male to sit on.  
  
"Thank you," he smiled graciously.  
  
An awkward silence had filled the air between you two. You shifted a bit and started fiddling with your thumbs. Your eyes nervously spared a glance towards the male beside you. He was watching the game that the children were playing, and he seemed to be inspired.  
  
"They're really good," the male commented.  
  
You nodded in agreement; for some reason, you were having difficulty having words escape your lips.  
  
"...Do you play soccer?" he asked you curiously, albeit a bit timidly, turning his attention towards you now.  
  
You shook your head and shyly looked down at the ground, "No, I'm really not that great with sports...but I enjoy watching them every now and then. ...Do you?"  
  
The male blinked at first; his expression read surprise as though he wasn't expecting such a question, "Yes; I play both forward and defender."  
  
"Oh really? That's cool," you replied, sounding impressed.  
  
Once again, awkward silence hung in the air. You bit your lip and spoke again, introducing yourself, "I-I'm [Name], by the way..."  
  
The young man smiled at you as he returned the reciprocity, "I'm Fubuki Shirou."  
  
"Fubuki Shirou..." you repeated, trying to get a feel of the name on your tongue.” It’s a pleasure to meet you."  
  
"Likewise," he replied.  
  
Running out of things to say, you diverted your attention back towards the children's game. Every now and then, a casual question would be asked from one of you two followed by a casual answer from the other; it was awkward at first, but soon enough, it became quite comfortable between the two of you. Some time passed, and you glanced down towards your watch; it was almost the curfew for the boys. You still had to treat them to some ice cream!  
  
"Ah, sorry, I have to go now..." you said as you got up from the bench and started heading towards the group of boys who had just finished their game; however, you stopped in your tracks and paused. You turned around to face Shirou; he raised a curious eyebrow at you.  
  
"Um...I was wondering if you'd like to meet up here again tomorrow..." you mumbled quietly, but still loud enough for the silver-haired young man to hear.  
  
His eyes widened slightly in surprise; he honestly wasn't expecting you to ask such a question. You shyly watched as Shirou brought his hand towards his scarf and clutched it as though for reassurance. He then smiled at you, "Yeah, that'd be nice."  
  
Your eyes lit up instantly at his answer and you beamed, "Great! I'll see you tomorrow then!"  
  
Without saying another word, you quickly turned on your heel to hide your idiotic grin from Shirou and proceeded to jog over to the children. They looked at you inquisitively and started asking all sorts of questions as to why you were smiling so much, but you were able to distract them by changing the topic of treating them to some sweets for their hard work.

* * *

The next day, you had excitedly left your house in a hurry and strolled over to the park with a bounce in your steps. You were humming a cheerful melody as you made your way to the park. The couple from the previous day was there again, but you paid them no heed; you were too busy in your own thoughts of spending some time with Shirou to actually pay attention to any of your surroundings.  
  
_"He seems like a really nice guy,"_ you thought merrily as soon as you arrived at the park. You glanced over at the bench where the two of you talked; butterflies flew in your stomach upon seeing Shirou sitting there. You quickly walked over to him and greeted him.  
  
"Hey. You came," you said.  
  
"You sound surprised," Shirou commented.  
  
"Well, a bit," you admitted sheepishly, scratching the back of your head, "I was actually uncertain if you'd come or not since we just met yesterday and everything..."  
  
"I...enjoyed talking with you," Shirou answered simply, albeit hesitantly.  
  
You nodded, "Mm, I see..."  
  
Shirou then moved a bit more to the side of the bench and gestured for you to sit. You gladly did so, self-consciously folding your hands neatly upon your lap.  
  
"The weather's really nice today," you said, trying to keep the silence at bay.  
  
Shirou nodded in agreement, "Yeah..."  
  
Just like that, the two of you spent the entire afternoon talking with each other about anything and everything that came to mind: school, family, hobbies, favourite shows, and so forth. Eventually, the time came where the two of you had to go back home. You smiled at Shirou as you asked, "Same time again tomorrow?"  
  
Once again, you noted how Shirou clutched onto his scarf for reassurance. This piqued your curiosity, but you decided against asking about it. The young man smiled at you as he nodded, "Sure. Maybe tomorrow I could bring my soccer ball, and I could help train you?"  
  
You stayed quiet for a moment as you tried to process this suggestion into your mind. Apparently you took too long to answer, because Shirou added, "Ah, that is, if you want to...it's okay if you don't..."  
  
You stifled a small exclamation when you saw Shirou's expression; he looked so cute and dejected, and you felt a pang of guilt hit your chest. You shook your head and smiled reassuringly at him, "That's a wonderful idea!"  
  
"Really?" he asked.  
  
You nodded enthusiastically, "Yes, of course!"  
  
Shirou still looked a bit uncertain, but he smiled and replied, "Okay then."  
  
The following day, you were absolutely nervous with meeting with Shirou. You weren't really all that great with sports, so you couldn't help but feel a bit self-conscious. The first few minutes of your one-on-one training session was absolutely embarrassing since you fumbled with the ball a fair amount of times, but Shirou was patient with you. He encouraged you and always reassured you. Soon enough, you started to see some improvement with your performance. You were genuinely impressed with yourself. At the end of the day, you thanked Shirou.  
  
"Thank you so much," you smiled warmly, "I had lots of fun today, and I learned a lot."  
  
"That's good," Shirou answered, "If you don't mind...do you think we could do this again tomorrow?"  
  
You nodded, "Of course."  
  
And so, this routine continued for a few days. You would spend the afternoon having a one-on-one training session with Shirou; the two of you got to know each other quite well at this point, and you had gotten close with one another. At some point, you started to realize and appreciate the smaller details of your time with Shirou; you noticed how his smiles were always so kind, how his laughter was so genuine, how passionate he was about soccer...You often found it difficult to fall asleep at night, because all you could think about was Shirou and what the next day with him would be like. Also, when you _did_ manage to fall asleep, your dreams were filled with only him.  
  
_"Is this what it means to fall in love?"_ you wondered to yourself, hugging your pillow. _"...It's such a nice feeling..."_

* * *

You had arrived at the park for another day to spend with Shirou; you arrived earlier than usual, so you were left to entertain yourself while you waited for Shirou. As you did so, you noticed how at a fair distance from you, a male a bit older than you, was bullying some young children who were playing in the sand. The children tried to ignore the bully, but he was relentless. You glanced around, wondering if the children's parents were around, but there was nobody else. Only when you heard the words "big brother" from the children did you piece two and two together. You huffed in annoyance before walking over to the group.  
  
"Hey you," you said, catching the attention of the older male. He stopped what he was doing and looked at you. He frowned, obviously annoyed at how you interrupted him.  
  
"What do you want?" he asked angrily.  
  
"Leave them alone; they're your siblings, aren't they? You should be nicer to them," you lectured the male, standing your ground as you placed your hands on your hips. There was no way in hell you were going to let your body language fall short to your tone.  
  
"That's none of your business," he spat.  
  
You furrowed your eyebrows at him and frowned. A soft profane word escaped your lips. Whether it was intentional or not, the male had heard it and he snapped at you, "What did you say?!"  
  
Your expression faltered a bit, but you were quick to regain your composure; however, before you had time to reply back with a snappy comment, a soccer ball had come flying from out of nowhere, hitting the male straight at the back of his head. You let out a surprised yelp and took a step back; that was way too sudden. You then directed your attention to where the soccer ball had come from and you smiled. Of course, it was none other than Shirou.  
  
Shirou walked over towards you and ignored the young man he had just hit. The bully clenched his hands into fists, and it was obvious he was trying to retain his anger.  
  
"Let's go," Shirou said, grabbing your hand and walking away from the scene, dragging you alongside him.  
  
"Huh? Oh, um...okay," you replied dumbly as you allowed yourself to be led by Shirou.  
  
You continued walking, yet you turned your head and looked back; the young man seemed annoyed, but he seemed way too disoriented to actually do anything at the moment. You gave an amused smile, all the while telling yourself that he had deserved it.  
  
Both you and Shirou were out of the park now and were just wandering around town. You glanced down towards your hand; Shirou was still holding onto it, but you didn't mind. "Um...Shirou, where are we going exactly?"  
  
Shirou glanced at you and then towards what you were looking at—in other words, your hands. He immediately let go as his cheeks slowly flushed red. You were a bit disappointed, and you missed the warmth of his hand with yours. "Oh, um, well...there's some place I want to show you," Shirou answered.  
You looked at the young man curiously as he led the way. The trip was quiet, but it wasn't awkward like the first time you had met Shirou; it was a comfortable silence shared between two friends, though you had wanted to be more than just friends with Shirou. Eventually, Shirou had led you to this wide, open field. It was absolutely beautiful; it wasn't full of flowers or anything special like that, but it was a simple field with luscious grass and a wonderful view.  
  
"I like to come here every now and then," Shirou commented, "It helps me sort out my thoughts every now and then."  
  
You nodded, "I see..."  
  
Before you could make any further comments, you felt a small drop of water hit your nose. You looked up and was surprised that you hadn't realized the storm clouds until now. The rain drops came slowly at first, but it quickly picked up the pace, and soon enough, it started to pour really hard. Shirou once again grabbed your hand and started leading you to another place. In the distance, you saw what looked like a shack and you quickened your pace along with Shirou’s to reach this form of shelter. You heard the rumble of thunder a fair distance away, and you could've sworn you felt Shirou flinch; you quickly shrugged it off as your imagination though.  
  
The two of you managed to make your way inside the shack, letting out a sigh of relief simultaneously. Shirou sat down on the floor and leaned his back against the wall as you took your place beside him.  
The shack was fairly small and filled with equipment, so space was limited, causing you to touch shoulders with Shirou. You closed your eyes and allowed yourself to get lost in the sound of the rain. Every now and then, there would be a flash of lightning followed by the rumble and crash of thunder.  
  
"Looks like we're stuck here for a while, huh Shirou?" you commented. When you didn't get a response, you opened your eyes and glanced towards the male beside you. "Shirou?"  
  
Your expression softened upon seeing Shirou's figure; he was hugging his knees, burying his head between them, and he was quivering. There was a loud crash of thunder; it sounded awfully close. Shirou had let out a small yelp as soon as he heard the rumble of the thunder.  
  
You gently placed your hand upon his shoulder, though you were uncertain on whether he took notice of it or not. "Shirou?" you called out his name again in a hushed and gentle tone.  
  
You leaned a bit closer to him to see if he was okay, and you could hear him mumbling, "Mom...dad...Atsuya..."  
  
There was a muffled sob, and you looked at him sympathetically. Without a second thought, you gently wrapped your arms around Shirou's shaking figure and pulled him closer to yourself. "It's okay," you whispered soothingly to him, "It's okay...I'm here."  
  
You held Shirou close to you for a few minutes until the thunder died down and in turn, Shirou calmed down. You pulled away, and he quickly wiped away his years with his arms. A small smile graced your lips.  
  
Shirou looked down and avoided your gaze in embarrassment, "Sorry..."  
  
You shook your head, "Don't worry about it. ...Are you alright now?"  
  
The young man nodded, flashing you a grateful smile, "Yes...thank you."  
  
You returned the smile, though you were still curious as to what Shirou was mumbling about before, but you didn't bother asking him anything about it; you figured that he would tell you whenever he was ready.  
  
"I'm glad you're alright now," you said. Then, mustering up as much courage as you possibly can, you boldly placed a small kiss on Shirou's cheek.  
  
His eyes widened slightly, and he snapped his head towards you, but you had already diverted your attention to the floor, avoiding his gaze; you pressed your lips together in a firm line as you tried to calm your nerves. Then, to your surprise Shirou shyly returned the kiss to your cheek. Your face flushed as your lips curved upwards into a grin. You spared a glance towards Shirou; this time, it was his turn to look down at the floor. You saw him slowly raise his eyes to meet with yours, and he smiled. Shirou then tentatively reached for your hand and linked your fingers with his.  
  
The both of you leaned back against the wall, listening to the soft pattering of the rain against the roof while the both of you reveled in each other's company. You definitely wouldn't mind doing something like this again sometime.


	6. Seto Kousuke | Nothing to Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Fluff/Slice-of-Life | The one time Seto wasn’t as brave as he usually was.**

As a child, Seto was always adventurous. He was a brave, young boy. He had a habit of going into places where he really shouldn't be, but it wasn't like he had a choice. Outside thoughts of the people surrounding him would invade his mind every single second; it becomes too much to bear. Naturally, Seto would walk around in hopes of finding a quiet place.  
  
The young child was aimlessly walking around a park one day. Since it was raining rather heavily, nobody else was there. Or at least, that's what Seto thought. The boy was merely enjoying the quietness when he heard it.  
  
 _"It's not fair... It's not fair..."_  
  
Curious, Seto looked around the park and found you, sitting all alone on the swing set without an umbrella. You were completely drenched, but it didn't seem like you cared. At first, Seto was hesitant, but he felt guilty, because he knew what it was like to be alone, so he cautiously approached you.  
  
"Excuse me...?" he called out to you curiously.  
  
You looked up, wiping the tears from your eyes and sniffled, "Yes?"  
  
"Are you okay?" Seto asked.  
  
"No," you answered, but you didn't elaborate on it. "Just leave me alone."  
  
Seto slightly frowned and was about to do what you just asked, but he heard your thoughts once again.  
  
 _"I don't want to be alone..."_  
  
"Are you sure you want me to leave?" Seto asked for confirmation.  
  
"Yes," you answered, your eyes fixated on the ground.  
  
 _"No,"_ you thought.  
  
Seto was curious. He was confused as to why you would say the opposite of what you thought and wanted. In the end, he decided that it would be better if he stayed with you. He positioned his umbrella over your head so that you wouldn't get that much more wet. When you felt that the rain stopped pouring on you, you looked up.  
  
"What are you doing?" you asked.  
  
"You're wet," Seto answered matter-of-factly, "You'll get sick."  
  
"But then you'll get sick!" you replied, standing up from the swing you were sitting on. You grabbed hold of the boy's hand and positioned yourself so that the both of you fit under the umbrella. "There, now we'll be both dry."  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
An awkward silence hung in the air. At least, it was an awkward silence to you, but Seto was able to hear all of your thoughts.  
  
 _"This person's so nice. I want to be his friend."_  
  
Upon hearing this, Seto spoke, "I want to be your friend too!"  
  
"Eh?" you looked at the boy, confused. "I didn't say anything."  
  
"Oh, well, um..." Seto became flustered and was at a loss for words. He didn't mean to intrude on your thoughts like that. How was he going to explain himself and not freak you out with his power?  
  
"Can you read minds?" you asked, fascination lacing your voice.  
  
Seto nodded hesitantly, hearing the interest in your voice, figuring that it would be okay to be honest just this once. He noticed that your eyes lit up instantly, and he felt relieved.  
  
"No way!" you exclaimed. "Prove it! What am I thinking?"  
  
Without needing to focus, the child clearly heard your thought and answered, "You're thinking that it would be really cool if I could read your thoughts."  
  
"Whoaaa!" you were absolutely amazed. "Okay, okay. One more question to prove that you can actually read minds. What number am I thinking of?"  
  
Seto furrowed his eyebrows, "Um, orange isn't a number..."  
  
You grinned, completely fascinated by this boy's power. "That is so cool!"  
  
Seto offered you a sad smile, "Not really. It gets really loud most of the time."  
  
"Oh," you replied, suddenly feeling guilty. "Sorry. ...Am I loud?"  
  
Seto shook his head, "No, not really. I like your thoughts. They're interesting."  
  
You smiled at the child's answer, "That's good. If it ever gets too loud for you, just focus on my thoughts then!"  
  
"I'd like that..." Seto answered. He then realized that he still hasn't introduced himself to you yet. "I'm Seto Kousuke, by the way."  
  
"And I'm [Name]," you introduced yourself. "It's nice to meet you, new friend!"

* * *

That was years ago, and now both you and Seto were young adults. The two of you were good friends, and you often spent a lot of your time with him. However, it was only recently that you were introduced to his other friends who called themselves the Mekakushi Dan. Everyone almost immediately took a liking to you; otherwise, they would have a very neutral perspective of what they thought of you.  
  
"So, Seto..." Kano striked up a conversation with the young man one day when the two males were all alone. "Are you and [Name] a thing?"  
  
Seto blinked, surprised by the sudden question. He gave a laugh, "No, we're not."  
  
"Oh, so then it'll totally be fine if I decide to go after her?" Kano continued, giving an entertained grin.  
  
"No," Seto answered firmly. "Sorry Kano. I said we weren't a thing, but I didn't say that I want it to stay that way."  
  
Kano hummed in amusement, "Then why don't you just confess already and ask her out?"  
  
The young man sighed, "I would, but the truth is... I'm scared. She was my first friend ever since I got this power, and I'm afraid that she might not like me back, and it would strain our relationship."  
  
"You can always use your eye power," Kano suggested. "I can ask her what she thinks of you so that she's focused on that one thought, and then you just go on from there."  
  
"I don't want to do that," Seto replied. "It's not fair."  
  
"Yeah, you're right," Kano sighed in defeat, leaning back against his chair, "You don't like doing that."  
  
Seto offered the young man a thankful smile for understanding. The room then became quiet as Kano wanted to leave Seto to his thoughts on what he should do. He really liked you, and he wanted to be more than just a friend, but he was so afraid that if you didn't like him back, then what would happen to that friendship?  
  
Seto groaned in frustration. "I don't know what to do..."

* * *

"Seto?"  
  
"Hm? Oh, yeah?" Seto looked up at you, snapping himself back to reality.  
  
You looked at him, concerned. "Are you alright? I called your name several times now, and you didn't respond. What's on your mind?"  
  
Seto shook his head and offered you a smile, "It's nothing. Don't worry about it."  
  
"Are you sure?" you asked, not letting go of the worry in your eyes.  
  
The young man's heart clenched in his chest. How badly he wanted to tell you his feelings, but that fear held him back. He just continued smiling as he answered, "Yeah. I'm sorry for making you worry."  
  
"I don't believe you," you replied, "but if you don't want to tell me, that's fine. Just know that I'm always here for you if you want to talk."  
  
"Yeah," Seto responded, "I understand. So, what is it that you wanted to talk to me about?"  
  
"Oh yeah!" you clapped your hands together, remembering what it was that initiated you to talk to Seto in the first place. "So, my friend wants to get a new pet, but I'm absolutely hopeless with animals, so I was wondering if you could help him out."  
  
"Sure," Seto answered.  
  
You beamed, "Great! Thank you so much! Um, tomorrow, after you're done with your job, would you accompany us to the pet store?"  
  
The young man nodded, and you grinned even more. You grabbed hold of his hands and thanked him a million times before taking out your cell phone to tell your friend the good news.

* * *

Seto finished up at his work and started heading towards the designated meeting spot. Upon his arrival, he saw you standing there with another guy whom he assumed to be your friend. He instantly felt a tiny bit jealous. You didn't realize him approach the two of you, so you continued with your rather interesting conversation with the young man.  
  
"No, but seriously! Why would we have three kids if we're only going to have a budget of about $600?" you asked, huffing in annoyance.  
  
"How was I supposed to know we were going to have twins?" your friend replied.  
  
You scoffed, "Yeah, but you couldn't keep it in your pants and decided we should have another child! Do you know how expensive diapers and all that jazz are?"  
  
"You're the one that didn't want to use protection," your friend answered back.  
  
"Whoa, _excuse me_ , but _you're_ the one who couldn't keep it in your pants," you laughed.  
  
The young man you were talking to laughed as well as he answered, "At least I'm providing for us!"  
  
"Yeah, well, it's not good enough, is it?" you said.  
  
"Why don't you go do your own work then?" your friend responded.  
  
"Uh, I’m sorry, but I'm busy taking care of the children! Unless you want to put them in a daycare centre which is even more expensive!" you snapped back in a teasing matter.  
  
"At least I'm still providing!" your friend argued.  
  
"I should've gotten a better provider for my husband," you threw your hands up in the air for defeat. That was when you turned around and saw Seto standing there. He gave you an awkward wave. "Oh my gosh, Seto! Sorry, I didn't realize you were here!"  
  
"It's okay," Seto answered, "That's a rather interesting conversation the two of you were having."  
  
"Oh, well, it's a running joke the two of us have. We’re both in Parenting class, and we had this assignment where we were given the roles of a family, and then we had to come up with a list of things to buy for the family using a very small budget."  
  
"I see..." Seto answered.  
  
"Anyways," you said, changing the topic of conversation. You gestured towards your friend, "This is my friend, Aine." You then turned to face Aine and gestured towards Seto. "Aine, this is my friend that I was talking to you about, Seto."  
  
"Nice to meet you," Aine smiled at Seto.  
  
"Likewise," the young man responded.  
  
"Well then," you spoke, "Shall we get going?"  
  
"Yeah, let's go."  
  
The three of you started heading towards the pet shop. Along the way, the three of you would talk about random things to pass the time, but your friend unintentionally made most of the conversations exclusive to just him and you, making Seto feel a bit out of place. That fear that you might like this friend instead of him started to swell up in his chest. Soon enough, the three of you had arrived at your destination. Seto was quick to help out your friend and started asking him lots of questions to consider when choosing out a pet.  
  
"How much time are you willing to spend for your pet? Would you be willing to take your pet out for walks? Are you or is anyone in your family allergic? Do you have a backyard with lots of running space?"  
  
It seemed like Seto knew what he was doing, so you left the two of them alone and decided to go off by yourself  to look at the cuter animals. Seto continued to help out your friend, but soon enough, he had to ask.  
  
"Do you like [Name]?"  
  
Aine looked up at Seto curiously. "Yeah, I like her. She's a great friend."  
  
"So," Seto continued, "You only like her as a friend? Nothing more?"  
  
Aine stopped with his browsing through the animals and gave his full attention towards the young man. "Yeah, I only like her as a friend. Why are you asking? Do _you_ like her?"  
  
Seto looked away and refused to answer. He just met the guy, so of course he would be hesitant. Aine heaved a sigh and continued, "Well, if you do, you should tell her. You're her friend, right? Then you should know she's afraid to initiate anything."  
  
"Yeah, you're right..." Seto smiled softly.

* * *

"Oh, are you two done?" you asked when you saw the two males walk up to you.  
  
Aine nodded, "Yeah. I think I'm going to talk with my parents a bit more before deciding what to buy."  
  
"I see," you answered.  
  
"In any case, I have to go," Aine said. He raised his hand as a gesture of goodbye and said his farewell to both you and Seto. "Thanks a lot for today. Bye!"  
  
"Bye!"  
  
You watched your friend's retreating figure, and as soon as he was gone, you turned to face Seto and offered him a smile. "Let's go back now."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Both you and Seto left the shopping centre and started heading back towards your house when all of a sudden, it started to rain. You let out a small yelp as you and Seto ran for cover, the rain gradually becoming heavier. Eventually, the both of you were able to find some sort of cover from the rain.  
  
"It's not letting up anytime soon, is it?" you commented, staring at the rain.  
  
"You're right," Seto replied.  
  
You placed your hands behind your back and slowly started to rock back and forth on your feet. "It was raining like this when we first met."  
  
"I remember," Seto answered. "You were sitting in the rain all alone, and I was curious."  
  
"Yeah..." your voice was soft as you remembered your first meeting with Seto.  
  
"You know," Seto spoke, turning to face you, "I never did find out why you were all alone that day."  
  
Your lips curved upwards into a small smile, "You're right. I never did tell you, did I?"  
  
"No, you did not," Seto chuckled.  
  
"At that time, my only friend told me that she was moving away. I remember feeling so lonely then, and I didn't want to be alone."  
  
"Yeah, but you still told me to leave you alone," Seto said.  
  
You laughed, "I did, huh? I guess...I was afraid. You seemed like a really nice guy the moment you came to ask me what was wrong, and I wanted to be your friend, but I was afraid that if you did, you would eventually leave me too..."  
  
"You know I would never do that," Seto reassured you.  
  
"I didn't know back then. ...I was such scaredy-cat back then. Even now, I'm still afraid..." you trailed off as you started to become engrossed in your thoughts, but Seto's comment brought you back to reality.  
  
"You're not the only one afraid..."  
  
"What are you afraid of?" you asked him curiously. Seto always seemed like a brave young man, being adventurous and travelling to places where he shouldn't be.  
  
Seto hesitated with his answer, "Of our relationship."  
  
"What?" you grew concerned, thinking that you did something to ruin your friendship with Seto. "Why?"  
  
Taking a deep breath, the young man positioned himself so that he was directly in front of you and so that he could look at you straight in the eye. You felt your heart skip a beat upon seeing such an expression upon his face.   
  
"Because I really like you," Seto confessed.  
  
You were quiet. Your eyes widened in surprise, and you couldn't find the words to say, so Seto continued. "I was afraid that if I told you how I felt, you wouldn't like me the same way and that our relationship might become strained."  
  
"Oh, Seto..." you whispered, gently grabbing his hands. You gave him a beautiful smile and confessed, "I like you too."  
  
Upon hearing that, the young man refused to hold back, and he pulled you into a tight embrace. You and Seto hugged before, but this embrace was different. It held passion and years of unsaid words. Seto was smiling from ear to ear as be stroked your hair. The streets were empty, leaving the two of you alone in the pouring rain just like that day when you two first met, uninterrupted.  
  
Seto whispered in your ear, "I guess there was nothing to fear."


	7. Shintaro Kisaragi | Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Slice-of-Life | You finally decide to meet face-to-face with your online friend.**

Children laughed innocently in the streets as the sun brilliantly shone in the clear, blue sky. The weather was rather warm rather than scorching hot like it usually was, and there would be a nice breeze every now and then. Today was undeniably one of the nicest summer days ever. Many people took advantage of this by spending some time outside, but there were a few people that preferred to stay inside. One of these people was Shintaro Kisaragi.  
  
Shintaro sat down upon his chair and opened a can of Coke, gulping some of its contents before placing the can down beside his keyboard so that it could be within his reach. He placed his hands atop the mouse and keyboard and got around to going by his usual virtual routine.  
  
"Hm, I wonder if anyone's online," Shintaro mumbled to himself, typing in his username and password to log into his account, making sure to ignore the energetic AI that lived within his computer, Ene.  
  
The young man had recently discovered an MMORPG that had about almost _everything_. Despite joining fairly recently, due to experience, Shintaro was already at a pretty high level and managed to form a guild and party of other players with formidable skills and levels. Most of the time, Shintaro merely saw those other players as an asset, but he was able to befriend some of the people. Amongst his limited list of friends was you.  
  
You yourself had just recently discovered the same MMORPG at around the same time as Shintaro, and you had managed to meet him when he KS-ed you. Needless to say, you were absolutely furious at him for taking the kill, and you kept on pestering him about it. Eventually, the young man grew tired of your rants and rambling that he decided to make it up to you by helping you level up. It was because of this that you managed to reach the same level as Shintaro and inevitably become good friends with him.  
  
Of course, you never knew Shintaro's real name; he always had people address him by his username, HikikNEET07, or by something along those lines. You didn't know how he looked like either, but you didn't care, because from your interactions alone, you were able to find out a lot about him, and that in itself formed a sort of mental image for you. You knew that he was a very smart young man, but because of an incident he decided to not disclose, he turned away from reality and hid away in the virtual world. You also noted from your interactions that he was afraid of moving forward, something that you tried to help him to do.  
  
"Oh, HikkiNEET's online," you noticed the notification bubble pop up in the corner of your screen while you were glancing through your items, sorting everything up. Only after a few seconds after seeing that notification, Shintaro had sent you a PM, striking up a conversation.  
  
"Hey," he greeted you.  
  
You smiled behind the computer screen, "Yo. What's up HikkiNEET? What are you doing online? Shouldn't you be outside, enjoying the sun rather than wasting the day inside your room?"  
  
When you and Shintaro were still growing to become good friends, you two realized that you lived in the same area. Being online at the same time helped prove that you two at least lived in the same time zone, and every now and then, you two would talk about things in the local news to which they coincided with the other. Upon seeing the similarities, you both concluded that you lived in the same area.  
  
Shintaro let out a small laugh after reading your reply, "What about you? You're online too, y'know."  
  
You puffed your cheeks in annoyance as you typed, "Well, I'm an exception. At least my curtains are drawn back. What about you? I bet your room is pitch black."  
  
The young man leaned back in his chair, allowing his lips curve upwards into a small smile as he typed back a reply, "You know me so well. You're absolutely right."  
  
"Well then, that's no good. Let some light into your room," you replied.  
  
"Too lazy."  
  
You sighed in annoyance and turned your head to look out your window. Indeed, it was a rather beautiful day outside. After a moment of internal debate, you placed your fingers on your keyboard and daringly asked the young man, "We should go outside and meet up face to face."  
  
You leaned back in your chair and bit your lip, feeling a bit of regret and dread at the message that you just sent. Unconsciously, you started to twiddle your thumbs as you anticipated the young man's answer.  
  
Shintaro raised a curious eyebrow upon receiving your message. He took another sip of his drink as he contemplated his answer. After a few minutes, he finally made up his mind.  
  
"Sure, why not?"  
  
You blinked in surprise when you read the reply, and you found yourself unable to stop the huge grin that spread across your face. Your fingers fervently tapped against the keys on the keyboard as you started to make plans with your Internet friend to finally meet in person.

* * *

You were sitting on the swings at the park in your area as you waited for Shintaro. The two of you decided upon this meeting spot since it was well-known, and it was close to both of your houses. The two of you decided to meet at the swings, but just for certainty and safety, Shintaro had given you a short physical description of himself. This way, you can determine if in case a different guy goes up to you to talk, you'll be more cautious.  
  
So now, you were swinging at the swings as your eyes glanced around the park in search for a teenage male with short black hair wearing a red jersey jacket with white stripes on the sleeves. You anxiously bit your lip as questions started to form in your head.  
  
 _What if he doesn't come? What if he does come, but he's not who he said he was on the Internet? What if he's actually a murderer and this is how he captures his victims?!_  
  
Eventually, your imagination got to the better of you, and you changed your mind and got up from the swings to head back home. You were walking at a brisk pace, and you weren't paying attention to where you were going, thus causing you to bump into someone and fall to the ground.  
  
"S-Sorry," you heard a shaky voice apologize to you.  
  
"No, it's my fault. Sorry, I wasn't looking at where I was going," you replied as you stood up. That was when you finally managed to get a good look at the stranger you bumped into. He had short black hair and brown eyes. He wore light brown pants and a black T-shirt with a red jersey jacket decorated with white stripes on the sleeves. The young man became visibly nervous as you continued to stare at him.  
  
"I-Is something wrong...?" he asked.  
  
You pressed your lips together in a firm line before hesitantly asking, "HikiNEET...?"  
  
The young man's eyes slightly widened at the familiar name. After coming back to his senses, he nodded, and said your username to you for confirmation as well. You nodded. The two of you then just stood there in complete awkward silence, staring at each other.  
  
 _"I never expected him to be this...good-loking,"_ you thought to yourself as you continued to take in the young man's features before eventually becoming self-conscious of yourself, and you looked down at the ground.  
  
"So, uh...m-my name's Shintaro, and um...it's nice to meet you," Shintaro introduced himself, breaking the silence. You tried to bite back a smile upon seeing how awkward Shintaro was being, but you then introduced yourself to him.  
  
"It's nice to finally see you in person," you said.  
  
"Likewise," Shintaro replied.  
  
The awkward silence came back as the two of you ran out of things to say. Shintaro scratched the back of his head nervously while you rocked back and forth on your heels, each of you avoiding eye contact.  
  
"So..." you started, trying to strike up another conversation to make the atmosphere friendlier, "what do you want to do?"  
  
Shintaro shrugged, "I don't know. I haven't really gone outside in a long time..."  
  
You tilted your head slightly to the side as you thought about different possible places the two of you could visit. "Well, we could go to the arcade if you want?"  
  
The young man nodded his head in agreement, "Alright."  
  
"Great!" you smiled and clapped your hands together before enthusiastically turning on your heel to head to the arcade. "Let's go then!"  
  
The walk from the park to the arcade wasn't that far. During that time, the two of you talked about small things to get to know each other more. You talked about your favourite games, your most visited websites, your hobbies, and so forth. Soon enough, the two of you have arrived at your destination.  
  
"Which game do you want to play?" you asked Shintaro upon entering the arcade.  
  
"That one," Shintaro answered almost right away, pointing to a very popular fighting game.   
  
You smiled, "Alright then, let's go."  
  
The two of you inserted your coins and then grabbed a controller. Shintaro turned his head to look at you before the game started, and he held a challenging smile. "Loser buys winner a drink."  
  
"You're on," you answered back, taking him up on his challenge. You were glad Shintaro wasn’t that awkward; it must be because he was in a comfortable setting.  
  
The game started, and the two of you fought each other. You were each doing well, using several combos and techniques, but it was obvious Shintaro was much better than you. Eventually, you decided to give up using combos and just started button mashing. Both of you highly enjoyed yourselves with a few exclamations and curses coming out of your lips. In the end, Shintaro had won victoriously.  
  
"You owe me a Coke," Shintaro said to you after your crushing defeat.  
  
"I bet you cheated," you replied jokingly, smiling warmly at the young man as you bought him his drink.  
  
Shintaro opened the drink and gulped some of it down before turning his attention back to you. "You get to choose the next game."  
  
"Yay!" you smiled and headed over to a rhythm game with Shintaro following behind you.  
  
"A rhythm game?" Shintaro asked.  
  
"Yeah, what about it?"  
  
The young man shrugged, "Nothing. I just didn't take you for someone who plays rhythm games."  
  
"What do you take me for then?" you asked curiously.  
  
"I don't know... RPGs mostly?"  
  
You breathed out a mockingly playful sigh as you exaggeratedly shook your head in disappointment. "Tsk, tsk, you shouldn't make assumptions of people HikiNEET," you said, calling him by his username.  
  
Shintaro then offered a small amused laugh and smile. The sight and sound made your heart flutter, and you quickly turned your head back to the screen, hoping Shintaro didn't see your flushed cheeks.  
  
And so, the day continued on with both you and Shintaro walking around the arcade, playing several games. Lots of bets were made between the two of you, and you ended up losing most of them. You figured that the bets you did win were just because Shintaro had allowed you to win which you had mixed feelings for, but it didn't matter, because you were having lots of fun. That was when a sudden realization hit you.  
  
 _"This is like a date,"_ you thought to yourself rather cheerfully.

* * *

The sun had finally started to set down, and the arcade was going to close soon, so you and Shintaro decided that it was time to go home. You walked together back to the park, your original meeting spot, as the sky started to become coloured with tinges of orange and purple.  
  
"This was a lot of fun," you said as the two of you arrived at the park. It was time to go on your separate ways back home.  
  
Shintaro nodded, "Yeah."  
  
You smiled at how Shintaro didn't seem awkward or nervous anymore. He was a shut-in, so you figured that getting him to talk to you and everything would've been difficult, but it was actually really easy. He was now more comfortable with you.  
  
"Well, I guess this is goodbye for now..." you said, surprised at how disappointed and sad you sounded.  
  
"I guess so..." Shintaro replied, his tone matching yours.  
  
Even though the two of you already said your farewells, neither of you budged from your spot. After a few more minutes of just standing there, you turned on your heel and started to head back home, but you stopped in your tracks when Shintaro called your by your name.  
  
"Y-Yes?" you asked, blushing profusely. That was the first time the young man had addressed you by your real name. While you were at the arcade, he always called you by your username, so hearing his voice say your name...it felt really nice, and you couldn't stop your cheeks from becoming flushed.  
  
"Do you think we could do this again sometime?" Shintaro asked, staring at the ground and scratching the back of his head.  
  
You blinked in surprise before answering, "Y-Yeah, sure! We can totally meet up again."  
  
"Well, no, I mean not meet up, but more like...um...I mean..." Shintaro had difficulty forming a proper sentence. "I mean, rather than just 'meet up', can we make it a date next time?"  
  
You gave no immediate response, because it took you a while to process what the young man had just asked you. After processing and confirming, you answered a bit far too enthusiastically, "Yes! Of course!"  
  
Shintaro let out a breath of relief and muttered out, "Thank goodness..."  
  
"Um, if you want," you started, "I can give you my cell phone number so that we can...y'know, keep in touch. E-Even though we already keep in touch online, we can keep in touch with our cell phones too...?"  
  
"O-Oh, yeah!" Shintaro said as he fumbled around his pockets for his cell phone. He took it out feeling both nervous and excited that he nearly dropped it, but you were quick to react and caught it for him. You punched in your contact information, and gave a satisfied smile after exchanging each other's numbers.  
  
"Well then, I should go home now," you said. "Bye!"  
  
"Bye!"  
  
You turned on your heel once more and started walking back to your house. You held your cell phone close to your chest, and you smiled.  
  
 _"I can't wait to meet him again."_


	8. Malik Caesar | Little Moments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Fluff | It’s the little things…**

For the most part, you lived a very easy and comfortable life in Barona. From time to time, you would encounter a small scuffle with a few people on the streets while you were out doing your errands, but overall, your days would go by peacefully. Today was not one of those days, much to your dismay.  
  
It was just like any normal afternoon, except you were spending some time with your friend whom you haven't seen in a while due to your conflicting schedules, so you could say that your day was actually going much greater than usual. That is, however, until you and your friend had the misfortune of attracting a rather troublesome young man's attention. You and your friend were resting on the stairs leading up to the Valkines Cryas. The both of you were too tired and lazy to go up all the way, but you had still wanted a nice view of the place, so you two settled to rest on the stairs instead. You were having a rather mundane yet enjoyable conversation with your friend when a young man had walked up to the both of you.  
  
"Can we help you?" you asked warily.  
  
It took you a lot of effort to not let your irritation and annoyance show on your features when the young man started spouting ridiculous and overly used lines in hopes of trying to woo either one of you. You tried not to roll your eyes as you and your friend tried to kindly decline his advances, but he was awfully persistent. The more persistent he became, the more impatient you became as well. Just when you thought you couldn't handle this guy anymore, he had roughly grabbed your friend's wrist, causing her to let out a small yelp.  
  
 _"That's the last straw,"_ you thought as you got ready to stand your ground. You weren't quite the best fighter, nor were you that strong, but you still knew just the right place to hit to buy you and your friend some time to get away from this creep. However, before you could take any action whatsoever, a hand had clasped itself on the man's shoulder, causing all three of you to direct your attention towards the newcomer.  
  
"Now, there's no need to be so forceful with these ladies, is there?" the stranger spoke in a firm voice, "if they said 'no', then you should just leave them be."  
  
You noticed the man's grip tighten at his last words, and before you knew it, the young man that was previously harassing you and your friend had scurried away. You watched his cowardly retreating figure and gave a small harrumph before turning your attention back towards the man who helped you and your friend.  
  
"Thank you," you appreciated him going out of his way to help you out.  
  
The man offered a smile and replied, "No problem. I'm always glad to help out, especially beautiful women such as you two."  
  
His smile was rather contagious, or perhaps it was rather due to his lighthearted response, but you found yourself smiling back at him. Then, seeing as he had no other reason to stay there, he excused himself and left. You couldn't help but stare at his back for a bit before turning your attention back to your friend and asking if she was alright.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine," she answered. "Anyways, he was kind of attractive, don't you think?"  
  
You paused for a moment before replying, "Yeah, I guess he was."

* * *

You heaved a bored sigh as you rested your arms on the counter of the bar and leaned on it. Your eyes scanned the room in hopes of finding something interesting, but business was awfully slow this evening, and there wasn't a single thing of worth to note out. Just as you were about to let out another sigh, your ears picked up on the sound of the bar opening, signalling that a new customer had come in. You immediately straightened yourself up and put on a smile.  
  
"Welcome!" you greeted them before your eyes widened in slight surprise at who it was. You couldn't stop the small "oh" that escaped your lips upon recognizing the man who walked in to be the same man whom you and your friend happened to come across this afternoon.  
  
"Oh, it's you," the male spoke with just as much surprise as you when he recognized your face, though it did take a moment. The man took a seat at the bar, and you gave him your full attention. "I didn't know you worked here," he commented, leaning against the counter.  
  
"I'm just helping out the owner for this evening since the other workers are busy," you answered him. “Not like I'm needed though since business is so slow right now, but then again, I got to see you, so I guess that's a plus.”  
  
The man smiled at your last comment. "So you're friends with the owner, huh?" he asked, and you nodded in response. He let out a small chuckle, "What a small world."  
  
You offered an amused smile as you replied, "A small world indeed. So, what can I get you?"  
  
The man gave you his order, and you were quick to prepare it and give it to him. "On the house," you told him.  
  
"Whoa, really?"  
  
You nodded your head, "It's the least I can do after what you did for me and my friend today."  
  
"I see, thanks," he humbly accepted it before introducing himself. "I'm Malik, by the way. And may I ask for your name?"  
  
You introduced yourself to him before the two of you engaged in a very delightful conversation. Before you knew it, a lot of time had already passed by, and Malik needed to leave to take care of a few personal errands.  
  
"It was a lot of fun talking to you," he said as he stood up from his seat.  
  
"Likewise," you replied, your eyes never leaving his figure as he headed to the door.  
  
"Well, hopefully I can see you again sometime." And with that said, he was gone.

* * *

A few days passed, and to your pleasant surprise, you had happened to come across Malik yet again. You were shopping for a few items and had just left the shop when he bumped into you.  
  
"Sorry about that," he apologized first thing before seeing your face and then breaking out into a smile, "Oh, hey!"  
  
"Malik!" you exclaimed in surprise once you regained your balance and composure after the tall man had bumped into you.  
  
"Out shopping, I see," Malik commented as he noted the bags of goods you were carrying.  
  
You nodded, "Yeah, I just finished. What about you? What are you up to?"  
  
The male shrugged, "Nothing much, really. I just needed a break from a few things and decided to take a stroll around, especially since the weather's so nice today."  
  
You hummed in agreement, "You're right. I think today's weather is the nicest it's ever been so far."  
  
The conversation slowly died down, and you adjusted the bags you were carrying so that it was more comfortable for you. Noticing this, Malik extended his hand out towards you and offered, "How about I help?"  
  
Initially, you were a bit wary since you _had_ just recently met him, but you did enjoy Malik's company, so you ended up slowly handing over some of your heavier bags which he took with ease.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
You started leading the way back to your home with Malik following close behind you. The two of you exchanged a few short and light conversations, but all in all, the both of you walked with a comfortable silence in between. Once you had reached your house, you opened your door and took the bags that Malik was carrying. You hesitated slightly as you debated with yourself as to whether or not you should allow him inside. Seeing your unease, Malik raised his hand in a dismissive manner.  
  
"Ah, that's right. There's, uh...something, I have to do. It was nice seeing you again," Malik excused himself, sparing you the trouble of deciding as to whether or not invite him inside.  
  
As you watched him walk away, you muttered out a small "thank you" to be carried by the wind.  
  
Time gradually passed by, and every now and then, you and Malik would happen to come across each other. You don't know why or how it kept on happening since neither of you two planned it, but it wasn't like you were complaining either. Seeing the man was always a nice surprise, and you always ended up enjoying your short interactions. Eventually, you even started keeping your eyes out for him whenever you went outside.  
  
By now, winter had arrived, and tonight was an awfully cold one. You had to do some last minute shopping, all the while berating yourself on how you procrastinated, and unable to stay out in the cold for much longer, you sought warm refuge in the bar where you first met Malik.  
  
You entered the bar and exchanged short greetings with the people there. Without you realizing it, your eyes glanced around in search for a certain man, but when you were unable to find him, you couldn't help but slightly slump your shoulders in disappointment. _"Well, it's not that surprising. I don't know why I was expecting much,"_ you thought to yourself as you took a seat at a table far away from the door and windows. You wanted to keep as warm as possible.  
  
A couple of minutes passed, and you had ordered a drink to help you warm up when you heard the door to the bar open, but you didn't bother looking up until you heard a familiar voice complaining.  
  
"Man, it's so cold outside..."  
  
Your lips had tugged themselves upwards into a smile before you were even aware of it. Feeling your gaze on him, Malik turned to your direction and returned the smile. He walked over to you and sat down on the seat across from you.  
  
"I'm taking shelter from the cold," you explained as you comfortably leaned back on your chair.  
  
"I figured as much. It's the same for me," Malik laughed.  
  
A warm and comfortable silence filled the air between you two before the man broke it by suggesting on having a drinking game. You quickly refused, "I doubt I can hold my alcohol as well as you. Maybe some other time though."  
  
Malik let out a laugh and shrugged, "Fair enough."  
  
The two of you passed some more time together, taking comfort in each other's presence. Before long, you looked at the time and realized that it was getting awfully late. Malik had offered to walk you home, and you smiled, "I appreciate it."  
  
The two of you gathered your belongings and left the bar. Malik had already walked you to your home a couple of times now, so he had already started heading in that direction but stopped when you lightly pulled on his arm. Curious, he glanced down at you.  
  
"Since it's extremely cold out, I'd rather take the shorter route," you said. "I know a shortcut."  
  
Malik quirked an eyebrow but still shrugged and started following you, "How come this is the first time I've heard of this shortcut? Especially after all those times I walked you home?"  
  
"I wanted to spend more time with you," you answered truthfully.  
  
Malik smiled at your response, "In that case, I can't really complain since I felt the same way."  
  
You let out a small chuckle when he replied before shivering from the cold. Malik noticed this and brought himself closer to you before reaching for your hand and encasing it in his own. A small and shy smile made its way to your lips as you appreciated the small gesture.  
  
"...Are you sure this is a shortcut? Because I think we would've reached your house by now," Malik commented after a few minutes.  
  
You pressed your lips together in a firm line, appearing deep in thought before sticking your tongue out in a playful manner, "Whoops. I guess I made a mistake."  
  
You glanced up at him, and he looked at you with amused eyes. "Oh well."  
  
You shifted yourself much closer towards the male and sighed. You felt a bit bad about lying to him. In truth, you decided to go the long way back to your house. It _was_ awfully cold outside, and you wanted nothing more than to wrap yourself in a warm and cozy blanket in the comfort of your home, but you found it to be awfully warmer and much more satisfying when you were around Malik. You wanted to spend as much time with him as possible. You were certain he realized your lie, but he said nothing about it, and you were thankful for that too.  
  
It were moments like these where the two of you felt fully at bliss.


	9. Hideyoshi Nagachika | Mission Accomplished

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Fluff | Hide has a mission in mind, and it involves you.**

"Yo, Kaneki!" the blond male named Hide greeted his friend with his usual cheerful grin and wrapped his arm around the other male's shoulders. Kaneki stumbled slightly from the amount of energy Hide put but nevertheless returned a meekish smile.  
  
"You seem awfully energetic today," Kaneki commented.  
  
"Well, you see, there's a perfectly good reason for that," Hide let out a small laugh before pulling away from the male. He turned on his heel and walked a few steps ahead. Kaneki watched his friend from behind, curious as to what it was this time that managed to get Hide's attention. The blond then swiftly turned around to face Kaneki once more. The raven-haired male jumped slightly from surprise when he felt Hide's hands suddenly grip his shoulders.  
  
"I need a favour from you," Hide spoke, his voice and expression suddenly changing to a more serious one.  
  
Upon seeing this change in behaviour, Kaneki became very nervous. Hide was rarely ever this serious, but if there was something he could do for his friend in his time of need, he would do _anything_. The raven-haired male swallowed the lump in this throat before asking, "What do you need me to do?"  
  
Once Kaneki's response reached Hide's ears, Hide lowered his head, allowing his hair to fall over his eyes and hide his expression. Kaneki waited with bated breath for Hide's answer. There was a brief silence between the two before the energetic friend snapped his head upwards towards Kaneki with pleading eyes and exclaimed, "I need you to be my wingman!"  
  
"Uh...huh?"  
  
Kaneki blinked in confusion, finding it a bit difficult to follow along with Hide's pace of the conversation. The blond shook his head and explained, "You know how there's that new cat cafe that opened up just a few blocks from the university?"  
  
The other male slowly nodded in response as he allowed himself some time to try to process the whole conversation and where it was going, "Yeah...?"  
  
"So, I was walking by a few weeks ago and saw this pretty cute girl there. I tried striking a conversation with her many times before, but her friend who works with her keeps on interfering!" Hide whined, "I need you to keep her friend busy so that I could at least get to know her name."  
  
"Um..." Kaneki hesitated on his answer. "I don't know; I mean, I'm really not all that great with people, let alone girls, so I don't know how much help I can be."  
  
"It's okay," Hide beamed. "Her friend is totally your type, and you're totally her type! ...I think."  
  
"You _think_?" Kaneki repeated. "Are you just saying that to try to further convince me?"  
  
"Maybe," Hide answered vaguely before resuming to plead to the male, "Pleeease, Kaneki? I promise you, her friend isn't a bad person, and she's cute too--not as cute as her friend, I think, but still. I think she's just being overprotective of her friend and hates me."  
  
"Maybe your enthusiasm just intimidated her," Kaneki laughed. "...But okay, I guess I can try."  
  
"Thanks, man! You're the best!"

* * *

You were cleaning up a table at your part-time job when you spotted a familiar face out the window. "Oh, he's here again?" you heard the familiar voice of your friend speak from behind you. You straightened yourself up and turned to face her before replying, "Looks like he came with a friend."  
  
"He's cute," your friend commented.  
  
"Eh, he's not really my type," you answered, shrugging your shoulders.  
  
"Oh I know," your friend laughed. "You've already set your eyes on the blond one."  
  
"Exactly," you harrumphed, "so can you please stop cockblocking me already?"  
  
Your friend raised her hands up in a gesture implying that she was innocent, "Hey, you're the one who made that bet on who would get a boyfriend first when we first started working here. There's no way I was going to let you win that easily."  
  
"You're such an asshole," you laughed with no ill meaning in your words.  
  
"I know," your friend winked as the bell to the door chimed, signalling the two males' arrival. "You take care of those two; I'm gonna go play with the cats and get that cutie's number later!"  
  
You watched your friend's retreating figure as she walked over to where most of the cats were lazing around before you brought your attention to the two customers who sat down at a nearby available seat. You walked over to the two of them, noting how the blond was whispering something to his companion and subtly gesturing towards you. "Hello and welcome," you greeted the two with a rehearsed smile. The two briefly returned your greeting before promptly taking their orders.  
  
"Is your friend not working today?" the blond―you still haven't gotten to know his name―asked you before you could retrieve their orders.  
  
You let out a small laugh, knowing full well what he meant by this, "Oh, no, she is. She's over there with the cats."  
  
"Ah, I see," the male responded.  
  
"Did you want to speak with her?" you asked, despite already knowing what his answer would be.  
  
"Ah, no, it's just that she was usually the one to greet me so... _enthusiastically_ , so I was a bit surprised to not see her."  
  
"Yeah, she can be like that at times," you answered, the amusement evident in your tone.  
  
Seeing as how there was now a lull in the conversation, you turned on your heel so that you could get their orders. As soon as you were out of earshot, Hide nudged Kaneki's arm. "That was her."  
  
"She really does seem like your type," Kaneki responded, his expression softening at how happy his friend looked. Hide leaned back in his seat and watched your retreating figure, unable to pry his eyes away until Kaneki pointed it out to him. "You're staring."  
  
"I can't help it," Hide laughed. "She's too pretty for me to not stare."  
  
"So?" Kaneki asked, "what's your plan?"  
  
The male shrugged, "Nothing elaborate really. I just need you to keep her friend busy while I ask for her name, number, and if she'd like to go on a date."  
  
"Good luck."  
  
Hide smiled in response just as you arrived back at their table, placing their orders in front of them. The two expressed their thanks before you went to tend to the other guests and customers. Time passed by uneventfully with several people coming and going. Eventually, you realized that the blond male that you were initially attracted to, was alone, and figuring this was the perfect chance to get to know him, you walked up towards the table.  
  
"How's everything so far?" you asked as an excuse to start up a conversation.  
  
"Really good," the male answered. "The drinks and food here are great, and the overall atmosphere's really calming."  
  
"I'm glad everything's to your liking," you responded.  
  
Just then, the blond gestured towards the empty seat in front of him, "Care to sit with me?"  
  
You paused for a moment, considering his invitation, before accepting. There were very few customers right now, and there were more than enough other staff members to handle them. You sat down on the seat the male was gesturing towards, all the while feeling his intent gaze on you. You flashed him a smile, and he returned it with fervor.  
  
"I'm Nagachika Hideyoshi, but you can call me Hide if you like," he introduced himself to you.  
  
You gave him your name in return. Hide commented that he wasn't expecting quite a name like that from you, but he quickly added that it did feel like it suit you when he thought about it. The two of you then engaged in a light conversation, just getting to know each other.  
  
"Where's your friend?" you asked when you realized how long the two have been talking by now and that the raven-haired male was nowhere in your sight.  
  
Hide pointed to a table behind you and answered, "Over there with your friend, it seems."  
  
You turned to face where he was pointing, and sure enough, you saw both your friend and Hide's friend, enjoying each other's company. Seeing as your friend was now occupied and no longer trying to cockblock you, you turned your attention back towards the male. "Wanna play with the cats?" you asked.  
  
"Sure," Hide answered as he stood up from his seat with you following right after him.  
  
The both of you walked over to where a lot of the cats were lazing around and sat down beside them. You picked one of the cats up and placed her on your lap. "This one's named Willa. She's a precious little thing."  
  
"Cute," Hide commented. You had assumed he was referring to the cat, but instead, he was actually referring to the sight of you playing with a cat.  
  
Another cat then walked up towards Hide and nuzzled his face against the blond's leg, letting out a soft purr. You watched with a soft expression on your face as Hide petted the cat. "What's this guy's name?"  
  
"Whiskers," you answered.  
  
"Huh," Hide breathed out, "I wasn't expecting that common of a name."  
  
The two of you sat in a comfortable silence, appreciating each other's company, as well as the company of all the cats. As you continued to stroke Willa's fur, Hide spoke. "It looks like she's really enjoying you petting her."  
  
"I don't blame her," you replied. "Being petted is nice."  
  
"Like this?" Hide asked as he then unreservedly placed his hand on your head and started stroking your hair.  
  
At first, you tensed at the contact, not quite expecting such an action, but it felt really soothing that you quickly relaxed once more. You adjusted your position slightly to a more comfortable one and to give Hide easier access to your head so he can resume his head petting. You allowed your eyes to close for a moment as you contnued to enjoy the soothing sensation.  
  
"So I was wondering..." Hide spoke, catching your attention.  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"Would you like to go on a date with me?" he asked.  
  
You straightened yourself up to a proper sitting position as you turned your body to face him. "Yes, of course."  
  
"Oh thank goodness," Hide breathed out a sigh of relief. He then continued to answer your confusion, "I thought you were gonna say 'no' because your friend convinced you or something."  
  
"Not at all," you answered. "Truth is, I actually wanted to try talking with you before."  
  
"Really?"  
  
You nodded, "Really. It's a long story, but yeah, I'm really happy that you asked."  
  
You then picked up Willa who was still resting on your lap and lifted her towards Hide's face and lightly pressed her cheek against the male's, allowing the cat to act as a conduit for your small gesture of affection. Hide then returned the gesture by petting your head once more, all the while giving you a bright smile as a light shade of pink dusted his cheeks.  
  
After quickly exchanging contact information, the two of you continued to spend your time together in a comfortable atmosphere, surrounded by the aroma of sweets and coffee while also being surrounded by the lazy company of cats.


	10. Haise Sasaki | I Am Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Angst | You accidentally call Haise by another name.**

The tension was rather high and almost suffocating as silence continued to fill your bedroom. You stood in front of the window, slightly drawing the curtain to the side as your half-lidded eyes watched the bustling lights of Tokyo come and go. As you continued to stare outside, you could feel the familiar gaze of your lover, Sasaki Haise, on you. Heaving a sigh, you turned your back to the window and allowed your eyes to wander the room before bringing them to look at the male who sat on the bed.

It was…an accident. You tried to reason with yourself to alleviate the guilt you felt for the terrible mistake you made a few minutes ago.

You had invited Haise to stay over at your place to unwind since he’s been so busy with his work lately and never really got some time for himself, let alone you. He had graciously accepted, eager to spend some time alone with you again. Once inside, the two of you engaged in some small-talk, but that was really just nothing more than a formality.

Soon enough, the two of you had ended up on your bed with Haise hovering over you as he connected his lips with yours. It had been far too long for you both to be apart, and the two of you made every effort to touch and cherish each other, making up for the lost time.

The feel of having Haise touching you like this again was absolutely wonderful. As he continued to show you with tender kisses and gentle caresses just how much he loved you, you couldn’t help but breathe out a name. It wasn’t unusual to call out the name of your lover during these intimate moments, but it wasn’t his name.

Haise immediately stopped what he was doing and stared at you with an unreadable expression. It took you a moment to realize what was wrong.

_“Kaneki.”_

You had called out the name of the man you first fell in love with, not the man you were with right now. Not knowing how to continue with this uncomfortable situation, you had lightly pushed against Haise, and he moved out of the way as you sat up and swung your legs over to the side of the bed before standing up and walking over to the window.

And now here you were, staring at the male before you, both a friend and a stranger. Your eyes tried to search his features for something to tell you what he thought of the situation. He was too quiet, you thought, and you went through several trial conversations in your mind, but before you could utter a single word, Haise had softly called out your name.

You looked over at him, guilt and shame evident in your features. Haise stood up and walked over to you, and you unknowingly took a step back when he got too close. The young man noticed this and stopped in his tracks. Instead, he slowly lifted his hand to hold yours, but you still shifted away. An expression of hurt flashed through Haise’s visage as he brought his hand down back to his side. He called your name again.

“…Yes?” you hesitated in answering him and refused to make eye contact.

“Please, look at me,” Haise pleaded.

You refused at first, but he asked again. Quite reluctantly, you slowly brought your gaze upwards towards him. Your lips parted slightly when you saw him smiling softly at you. That same smile he always gave you whenever you needed comforting. That same smile _he_ left you with when he tried to assure you that everything was alright. That _he_ needed to leave for a bit but will surely come back to you. Your heart clenched at the memory.

 _Liar_.

No, it wasn’t quite a lie. He did come back, but as a completely new person. You had heard of the news from somewhere, but you couldn’t quite remember where, but that didn’t matter. _He_ was alive; you were more than ecstatic when you found out. …But _he_ was no longer here.

You remember the first time you saw Haise from afar. His eyes. His voice. It was the same, but slightly different; and not just from the years that have passed since you last saw _him_. This was an entirely different person. That was what you decided.

But even so, you found yourself crossing paths with this new man and having him enter your life. And before you knew it, you had fallen in love with this man. _Again_? Did you really fall in love again, with this man; or was it _him_ you fell in love with again? You didn’t know, but then again, that didn’t matter. You missed that familiar warmth and just wanted it back. You had kept your knowing of Haise’s past a secret. It probably wasn’t the greatest idea, you thought, but you already figured that your relationship with Haise would not be a healthy one in any case. At least, not while you were still grieving over the loss of your previous lover.

“I’m sorry,” you finally muttered out. You knew that Haise was currently trying to figure out more of his past. You weren’t sure as to what happened to him to spark the sudden interest. He never really made any great efforts to find out more about himself, but you guessed that something must have happened at his work since he never really spoke much about it. Nevertheless, while you could’ve helped him, you refused to do so. Why? Perhaps it was out of fear, you reasoned.

“It’s okay,” Haise answered you.

“How?” you asked as your body shook slightly, the volume of your voice gradually increasing with each word that left your lips. “How on earth could it _possibly_ be _okay_?! I—You and I—We—” You were unable to form even a single proper sentence. Your mind was a mess. Everything you wanted to say stormed inside your mind, and you didn’t know how to handle it. This was just too much. Then, slowly and cautiously, Haise had pulled you into a warm embrace, prompting you to widen your eyes from surprise.

“I should be the one saying sorry,” Haise whispered in your ear, causing a shiver to run down your spine. “Maybe memories really do make up a person, but I have no memories of that time. I’m not the same person as before, and I don’t know if I could ever go back to being him.”

You listened closely to what Haise was saying. You could hear the confusion and loneliness in his voice, and it saddened you greatly. He was usually so calm and collected; it was rare for you to hear or see him this vulnerable, so you brought your arms up to return his embrace, and he slightly tightened his hold around your frame. He continued, “But every now and then, I encounter people who knew who I once was, and sometimes I wonder if it’d be better if I went back to who I was before. …Who…I was. …Who am I? I don’t even know anymore, but I do know that my memories with you as who I am right now are my own, and I love them. _I love you_ … That’s why…”

The room suddenly became very quiet when the young man trailed off, and you slowly pulled away from Haise. You placed your hand softly on his cheek and stared at his glistening eyes as tears threatened to fall down. Then, to Haise’s surprise, you flashed him a small and gentle smile before kissing his lips. You lingered for a moment before pulling away.

“‘Who are you’?” you repeated his question to him before providing your answer, “You are Sasaki Haise. The man that I love. No one else.”

“But I…” Haise started to speak, but you cut him off.

“It’s my fault for not telling you, and I’m sorry, but what you said applies to me too,” you said. “Maybe I really did enter our relationship thinking that maybe we can go back to how we once were with who you were before, but… I really did enjoy our time together, and I still do. Spending time with you, Haise, is the best. I love you, Sasaki Haise. I loved the young man you once were, and I love the man you now are.”

You gave Haise another smile once you finished saying your piece. He stared at you with wide eyes before pulling you roughly towards him into a passionate and hungry kiss. He held you tightly against him as you allowed your fingers to run through his hair. “I love you,” Haise breathed out between kisses, “ _I love you so much_.”

“…I love you too, _Haise_.”


End file.
